Disclaimer: Don't own anything.
Please, please review. I wasn't going to write for this story for a while since I only got 5 reviews for the last chapter. But I became aware that tomorrow is Legolas Day and I decided that I will honor it by updating all my fics =)
A/N: Since I only started this right now (almost midnight 24th October), this chapter was not given the usual time and deliberation as my other chapters. And a special THANK YOU for Legolas' sweetie for finishing beta- ing this chapter so fast to help indulge in my whim to please our Elf.
Cheysuli: No, Legolas had no memories of his past life when he was on Middle Earth. But when he returned home to the realm of the Tirn Uipira, he remembered everything, including his life as Legolas.
**************************************************************************** **
Chapter 3: Reunion
YEAR 8, FOURTH AGE OF MIDDLE EARTH, REALM OF THE TIRN UIPIRA
Even as Glorgalad reminded himself that he was only supposed to ask for the Man's help during their connection, he could not stop the excitement surging through his veins. He knew that, to the King of Gondor, this would be their first meeting and the young Watcher really wished to impress the Man. The Prince had spent the entire afternoon readying himself for the occasion. He had never been very conscious of his appearance, but for his love, he would make an exception.
The Watcher spent hours deciding on which outfit to wear before settling on a pale blue silk shirt and dark blue velvet leggings. The coloring of his clothes served to highlight his porcelain skin and exquisite cerulean eyes. The simple form-fitting garments cling to his lithe frame, both revealing and concealing at the same time, providing a perfect mix of elegance and sensuality. The silk and velvet had a natural shine that complimented his fair hair; when added to the golden light of the Prince, created a vision of unmatched ethereal beauty. Glorgalad was confident that he looked much more appealing than he did as Legolas, his Middle Earth reincarnation when he first met the Man twenty-two years ago.
At dusk, the preparations for the communication spell were finally finished. Now, all he had to do was wait patiently for Aragorn to sleep. However, Glorgalad was beginning to get anxious as he watched the Man continued to sieve through piles of papers in the Royal Library. Aragorn had been at it for hours and the night was quickly fading. He wished the King would leave his work for another day and go to bed. If Aragorn did not sleep until dawn, he would have to wait another day. Connecting the realms through dreams required great magic. As a Watcher's powers were at its zenith under the moon, the Prince could only use the spell during the night. Even if the situation about Morn-ndúath were not so pressing, the Golden Prince knew he could not bear much more of this heart-wrenching anticipation. He could hardly wait to speak with his love again.
____________________________________________________________________________ __
YEAR 8, FOURTH AGE OF MIDDLE EARTH, GONDOR CASTLE
Dawn was less than two hours away when Elessar finally finished reviewing the treaties from Harad. He was completely exhausted from the weight of his immense responsibilities as King. While Arwen was excellent at providing with emotional support, she could not truly share his burdens in governing the people. The Evening Star was a fragile beauty who must be sheltered from the unpleasant things in life. She was kind and compassionate to a fault and Aragorn saw it as another one of his duties to protect her from harm.
The Man found himself wishing once more that he were still a Ranger, free to roam the Wilderness of Middle Earth. Most would have thought that being King would give a Man the power to do as he pleased, but Aragorn discovered it to be quite the opposite. He could not remember when was the last time he had actually done something just because he wanted to, not out of duty to Middle Earth or responsibility to his family. He longed to be himself again, a simple Man who had faults and weaknesses. More and more, he began to feel like a prisoner in his own castle, held there by his title and his blood.
The only place he found solace from his confinement was in his dreams. As much as the visits of his dream-lover tormented him, Aragorn could always feel the unconditional love, support and understanding from the mysterious golden creature. It had always made Aragorn felt free; that regardless of what happened, he would always be loved for who he was, not what he was. In this nightly fantasy, he shared everything with this being, not only his joys but also his worries. The Golden One did not require his protection as Arwen did. They were equal and well matched in every way. Being protective of this creature was more like an urge Aragorn could not deny, rather than a duty. Though hazy, the Man could sense that if he should need help in anything, his mysterious lover would be there for him.
After changing into his sleeping robes, Aragorn stretched out comfortably in his bed and soon entered the realm of dreams.
**************************************************************************** **
IN DREAM-WORLD, BETWEEN MIDDLE EARTH AND REALM OF TIRN UIPIRA
He found himself standing alone in a small clearing of a forest. The moon was full, illuminating the glade with its silvery light. The wind and leaves were playing a romantic symphony for the specks of silver light dancing upon the trees. Oddly, the whole scene was reminiscent of a night some twenty years ago during his second visit to Mirkwood.
Aragorn knew he must be dreaming and was slightly disappointed that it was not his nightly fantasy. Somehow, in this dream, he was younger; his face was clean-shaven and his shoulder-length brown hair cropped short. For some reason, he had bathed and dressed up for the night. He was wearing a black velvet shirt and matching leggings, formal attire that he only wore on special occasions. He had the feeling that he would meet someone here, someone he had not seen for a long time. He could feel his stomach tightened in anticipation for this long expected reunion.
He did not have to wait long as a familiar voice sang his name softly. It was the voice from his dreams, the same one which pledged to him undying love every night. A pure golden voice that could touch his soul with a single word; one that spoke 'Aragorn' so beautifully that made it sound like a song.
The Man spun around to face the speaker and was immediately stunned by his beauty. This creature certainly had a form that matched the exquisiteness of his voice. Long blond hair held back by warrior braids framed a delicately sculpted face, completed with plush rosy lips and the most gorgeous sapphire eyes Aragorn had ever seen. His clothes were chosen to showcase the perfection of his supple body and the color of those amazing blue eyes. A soft golden light emanated from his smooth porcelain skin, forming a halo around his figure, completing the image of a heavenly beauty.
When he finally regained his senses, Aragorn began to make a more objective assessment of the one before him. The being had pointy ears, which meant he was an Elf. However, the Man could tell he was no ordinary Elf. While, all Elves glowed in darkness, none of the ones he knew had the same radiant golden light that this one did. From his voice, his hair and his eyes, Aragorn knew without a doubt that this was the one in his dreams; the mysterious lover whom he had somehow forgotten.
He could not understand how he failed to remember someone like this; in fact, he would not believe that anyone who had ever met this beauty could forget his name or face. But no matter how hard Aragorn tried to recall anything concerning this Golden creature, he seemed to encounter a brick wall. The Man decided that he could try remembering later; this opportunity to speak with the stranger was too good to waste.
"Do I know you from somewhere?" inquired the Man gently.
Glorgalad would have rushed to Aragorn and embraced the Man if he was not transparent to the touch. The Prince knew that his father had used very powerful magic to suppress everyone's memories of his life as Legolas. Even Thranduil, his sire on Middle Earth, did not have a single inkling of his existence. Yet, his love seemed to have somehow managed to retain at least an impression of him.
He wondered if the Man would remember more given assistance. He was tempted to tell Aragorn about some of their time together, but stopped as he thought, But what good would that do? It would only make the separation harder to bear. I could never return to Middle Earth and my life as Legolas. We could never be together again, so it would be better if Aragorn did not know of our love. One broken heart is much better than two.
Despite his heartache, the Watcher summoned a gentle smile with all his strength and answered, "I am Glorgalad, the youngest Prince of the Tirn Uipira. We have not met before, Aragorn, King of Men."
"Then how do you know who I am?" asked Aragorn, not convinced that the Prince was speaking the entire truth.
"I am a Watcher. Our race observes Middle Earth in our own realm. To tell the truth, I have been watching you for quite some time now and believed you are the solution to our problem," explained Glorgalad.
"What problem would this be?" inquired the Man. He was beginning to have a bad feeling about this.
"One of our kind had gone into your World. He plans to revive Morgoth and destroy both our realms with the Dark Lord's help. The only way he could be stopped is by killing his physical form. The hands of our people are tied as Morn-ndúath could sense our magic. We need help from those on Middle Earth to find and destroy him. I know of your great deeds on your Quest against Sauron and thought you the best candidate for the job."
For the second time in the dream, Aragorn was speechless. He had enough problems keeping peace in Middle Earth without a Watcher trying to revive Morgoth. Yet, if the Prince's story was true, he could not stand aside and let the dark sorcerer proceed with his evil plans.
Besides, for some strange reason, his heart was telling him to help the Prince; in fact, it was telling him that he would jump into the very fires of Mordor to keep the Golden One safe or make him happy. A maelstrom of hidden emotions surfaced, tearing at his heart and clouding his mind. These are things that Aragorn was very unfamiliar with as the Man had spent years training himself to hide behind a mask of ice and never let feelings affect his judgment. That was not the only problem. The Man knew what he felt for Glorgalad; it was the same deep eternal love as in the dream, but he had absolutely no idea of why he would feel this way. For the first time in his life, Aragorn was completely confounded.
Glorgalad watched the play of emotions on his beloved face. He felt very guilty for causing Aragorn so much confusion and pain. He had deliberately chosen this scene as the backdrop of the dream because this was where he secretly vowed to always love Aragorn. The Prince wanted this meeting with the Man to be perfect and he could not think of a better situation than that night twenty years ago in Mirkwood.
____________________________________________________________________________ __
FLASHBACK:
YEAR 2999, THIRD AGE OF MIDDLE EARTH, MIRKWOOD
It had been almost half a year since Legolas had seen the Man. Aragorn had arrived earlier in the afternoon, bearing an important message from Lord Elrond to his father. They were in a throne room for more than two hours, discussing the growing darkness in Mordor. The Prince would normally have been included in the conversation, but things were so urgent that they had began before Legolas returned from scouting duty. When they emerged, the Man was whisked away quickly to dress for the banquet in his honor as a royal guest of Mirkwood.
Throughout the evening, the Elf was accosted by so many admirers that Aragorn could not even push his way through to get a single word with the Prince. When the night's festivities concluded, the Man left the palace and wandered the surrounding forest to clear his thoughts. Aragorn knew that the Elf had assured him many times that he held a special place in his heart, but he could not stop the intense jealousy boiling in him when he watched Legolas amidst his suitors.
It was in a small clearing in the quiet woods that the Elven Prince found the Man he loved. He knew Aragorn was jealous. They have known each other for two years now, but because of their duties, they did not have the chance to see each other often. Legolas had visited the Man twice during this time, once in Rivendell and once in the North, among the Dunedains. The two always tried to spend as much time as possible together, but it was difficult with Aragorn's duties and the attention that Legolas kept getting wherever he went. Despite the short duration of their meetings, the Elf knew that he had fallen so in love with Aragorn that there could never be another for him. Regardless of how much of his affections were requited, Legolas knew he would bind himself to the Man, if only to ease Aragorn's fears of losing him to another.
**************************************************************************** **
"Aragorn," spoke Legolas softly.
The Man turned as he acknowledged the Prince, "Yes, Legolas."
"There is something I wish to tell you," whispered the Elf.
"Speak then, my love. You can tell me anything," said Aragorn. He smiled despite his heavy heart. He feared that the Elven Prince would say he no longer love him. He had been watching his Elf spoke with Haldir, the chief Guardian of Lórien, very amicably.
"Ónen guren le, Aragorn, ú-chebain ha anim. Ónen meleth uireb le. [I give my heart to you, Aragorn, I do not keep it for myself. I give you my eternal love.]" the young prince said as he removed a simple emerald and gold band from his finger and placed it into the Man's hand.
"Legolas, I cannot accept this, at least not yet. I love you with all my heart. I wished for nothing more than to have you by my side always. But I am but King without a crown and you are the most sought after Elven Royalty upon Middle Earth."
"I love you for who you are, Aragorn, not your title or your blood. This is my choice, and I choose you." spoke the Prince with a soft smile.
"Legolas..." His protests were cut short when the Elf kissed him gently on his lips and bid him goodnight, leaving the grateful Man in complete reverence of the gift of love from the Golden Prince.
____________________________________________________________________________ __
YEAR 8, FOURTH AGE MIDDLE EARTH, DREAM WORLD
Glorgalad knew their time was almost running out. He could sense his magic weakening, signifying the inevitable approach of dawn. The Prince did not wish to rush his love, but the Man must understand their position. Aragorn was their only Hope. With trepidation, the Watcher asked, "Will you help us, my King?"
At the sound of the words, "my King", the Man finally won the struggle to control his raging emotions. He was the King of Men and he had responsibilities to Middle Earth. His inexplicable feelings for the Golden Prince would have to wait another day.
"I will help you. I will speak with my friends and The Eldars on Middle Earth and enlist their help as well if possible," promised Aragorn.
"I thank you, my Lord," said Glorgalad smiled as he bowed slightly to the King of Men.
**************************************************************************** **
All of a sudden, a flash of memory broke free of the magic barrier and manifested itself clearly in Aragorn's mind. The Watcher was wearing a green jerken, silver shirt and matching green leggings. On his back were a bow and quiver and a pair of knives, bearing the emblem of Mirkwood. The Prince had come on a diplomatic visit for his father and Aragorn had arranged for his accommodations. The Elf had said the exact same thing in the same manner as Glorgalad did seconds ago. The Man somehow knew their relationship was well past formality at this point, but it was still a secret known only to a selected few. Under the prying eyes of the Dunedains, Aragorn had returned the courtesy and replied, "The honor is ours, Prince Legolas."
Legolas... that is the name of the Golden Elf....my mysterious lover. Did that mean Glorgalad lied about his name? But why? And how could I not remember anything more?
A stream of questions continued to plague Aragorn's mind. But before he could confront the Watcher, the dreamscape vanished before his eyes along with the Golden Prince. Instinctively, the King knew the sun had risen. He would wake now and make preparations for a Council. He would write to the Fellowship, Lord Elrond, Lady Galadriel, King Thranduil, King Èomer and Faramir asking them to convene in Gondor to discuss the situation. Tonight, Aragorn would sleep early, for he had a feeling the young Prince would sought his companion once more.
Please, please review. I wasn't going to write for this story for a while since I only got 5 reviews for the last chapter. But I became aware that tomorrow is Legolas Day and I decided that I will honor it by updating all my fics =)
A/N: Since I only started this right now (almost midnight 24th October), this chapter was not given the usual time and deliberation as my other chapters. And a special THANK YOU for Legolas' sweetie for finishing beta- ing this chapter so fast to help indulge in my whim to please our Elf.
Cheysuli: No, Legolas had no memories of his past life when he was on Middle Earth. But when he returned home to the realm of the Tirn Uipira, he remembered everything, including his life as Legolas.
**************************************************************************** **
Chapter 3: Reunion
YEAR 8, FOURTH AGE OF MIDDLE EARTH, REALM OF THE TIRN UIPIRA
Even as Glorgalad reminded himself that he was only supposed to ask for the Man's help during their connection, he could not stop the excitement surging through his veins. He knew that, to the King of Gondor, this would be their first meeting and the young Watcher really wished to impress the Man. The Prince had spent the entire afternoon readying himself for the occasion. He had never been very conscious of his appearance, but for his love, he would make an exception.
The Watcher spent hours deciding on which outfit to wear before settling on a pale blue silk shirt and dark blue velvet leggings. The coloring of his clothes served to highlight his porcelain skin and exquisite cerulean eyes. The simple form-fitting garments cling to his lithe frame, both revealing and concealing at the same time, providing a perfect mix of elegance and sensuality. The silk and velvet had a natural shine that complimented his fair hair; when added to the golden light of the Prince, created a vision of unmatched ethereal beauty. Glorgalad was confident that he looked much more appealing than he did as Legolas, his Middle Earth reincarnation when he first met the Man twenty-two years ago.
At dusk, the preparations for the communication spell were finally finished. Now, all he had to do was wait patiently for Aragorn to sleep. However, Glorgalad was beginning to get anxious as he watched the Man continued to sieve through piles of papers in the Royal Library. Aragorn had been at it for hours and the night was quickly fading. He wished the King would leave his work for another day and go to bed. If Aragorn did not sleep until dawn, he would have to wait another day. Connecting the realms through dreams required great magic. As a Watcher's powers were at its zenith under the moon, the Prince could only use the spell during the night. Even if the situation about Morn-ndúath were not so pressing, the Golden Prince knew he could not bear much more of this heart-wrenching anticipation. He could hardly wait to speak with his love again.
____________________________________________________________________________ __
YEAR 8, FOURTH AGE OF MIDDLE EARTH, GONDOR CASTLE
Dawn was less than two hours away when Elessar finally finished reviewing the treaties from Harad. He was completely exhausted from the weight of his immense responsibilities as King. While Arwen was excellent at providing with emotional support, she could not truly share his burdens in governing the people. The Evening Star was a fragile beauty who must be sheltered from the unpleasant things in life. She was kind and compassionate to a fault and Aragorn saw it as another one of his duties to protect her from harm.
The Man found himself wishing once more that he were still a Ranger, free to roam the Wilderness of Middle Earth. Most would have thought that being King would give a Man the power to do as he pleased, but Aragorn discovered it to be quite the opposite. He could not remember when was the last time he had actually done something just because he wanted to, not out of duty to Middle Earth or responsibility to his family. He longed to be himself again, a simple Man who had faults and weaknesses. More and more, he began to feel like a prisoner in his own castle, held there by his title and his blood.
The only place he found solace from his confinement was in his dreams. As much as the visits of his dream-lover tormented him, Aragorn could always feel the unconditional love, support and understanding from the mysterious golden creature. It had always made Aragorn felt free; that regardless of what happened, he would always be loved for who he was, not what he was. In this nightly fantasy, he shared everything with this being, not only his joys but also his worries. The Golden One did not require his protection as Arwen did. They were equal and well matched in every way. Being protective of this creature was more like an urge Aragorn could not deny, rather than a duty. Though hazy, the Man could sense that if he should need help in anything, his mysterious lover would be there for him.
After changing into his sleeping robes, Aragorn stretched out comfortably in his bed and soon entered the realm of dreams.
**************************************************************************** **
IN DREAM-WORLD, BETWEEN MIDDLE EARTH AND REALM OF TIRN UIPIRA
He found himself standing alone in a small clearing of a forest. The moon was full, illuminating the glade with its silvery light. The wind and leaves were playing a romantic symphony for the specks of silver light dancing upon the trees. Oddly, the whole scene was reminiscent of a night some twenty years ago during his second visit to Mirkwood.
Aragorn knew he must be dreaming and was slightly disappointed that it was not his nightly fantasy. Somehow, in this dream, he was younger; his face was clean-shaven and his shoulder-length brown hair cropped short. For some reason, he had bathed and dressed up for the night. He was wearing a black velvet shirt and matching leggings, formal attire that he only wore on special occasions. He had the feeling that he would meet someone here, someone he had not seen for a long time. He could feel his stomach tightened in anticipation for this long expected reunion.
He did not have to wait long as a familiar voice sang his name softly. It was the voice from his dreams, the same one which pledged to him undying love every night. A pure golden voice that could touch his soul with a single word; one that spoke 'Aragorn' so beautifully that made it sound like a song.
The Man spun around to face the speaker and was immediately stunned by his beauty. This creature certainly had a form that matched the exquisiteness of his voice. Long blond hair held back by warrior braids framed a delicately sculpted face, completed with plush rosy lips and the most gorgeous sapphire eyes Aragorn had ever seen. His clothes were chosen to showcase the perfection of his supple body and the color of those amazing blue eyes. A soft golden light emanated from his smooth porcelain skin, forming a halo around his figure, completing the image of a heavenly beauty.
When he finally regained his senses, Aragorn began to make a more objective assessment of the one before him. The being had pointy ears, which meant he was an Elf. However, the Man could tell he was no ordinary Elf. While, all Elves glowed in darkness, none of the ones he knew had the same radiant golden light that this one did. From his voice, his hair and his eyes, Aragorn knew without a doubt that this was the one in his dreams; the mysterious lover whom he had somehow forgotten.
He could not understand how he failed to remember someone like this; in fact, he would not believe that anyone who had ever met this beauty could forget his name or face. But no matter how hard Aragorn tried to recall anything concerning this Golden creature, he seemed to encounter a brick wall. The Man decided that he could try remembering later; this opportunity to speak with the stranger was too good to waste.
"Do I know you from somewhere?" inquired the Man gently.
Glorgalad would have rushed to Aragorn and embraced the Man if he was not transparent to the touch. The Prince knew that his father had used very powerful magic to suppress everyone's memories of his life as Legolas. Even Thranduil, his sire on Middle Earth, did not have a single inkling of his existence. Yet, his love seemed to have somehow managed to retain at least an impression of him.
He wondered if the Man would remember more given assistance. He was tempted to tell Aragorn about some of their time together, but stopped as he thought, But what good would that do? It would only make the separation harder to bear. I could never return to Middle Earth and my life as Legolas. We could never be together again, so it would be better if Aragorn did not know of our love. One broken heart is much better than two.
Despite his heartache, the Watcher summoned a gentle smile with all his strength and answered, "I am Glorgalad, the youngest Prince of the Tirn Uipira. We have not met before, Aragorn, King of Men."
"Then how do you know who I am?" asked Aragorn, not convinced that the Prince was speaking the entire truth.
"I am a Watcher. Our race observes Middle Earth in our own realm. To tell the truth, I have been watching you for quite some time now and believed you are the solution to our problem," explained Glorgalad.
"What problem would this be?" inquired the Man. He was beginning to have a bad feeling about this.
"One of our kind had gone into your World. He plans to revive Morgoth and destroy both our realms with the Dark Lord's help. The only way he could be stopped is by killing his physical form. The hands of our people are tied as Morn-ndúath could sense our magic. We need help from those on Middle Earth to find and destroy him. I know of your great deeds on your Quest against Sauron and thought you the best candidate for the job."
For the second time in the dream, Aragorn was speechless. He had enough problems keeping peace in Middle Earth without a Watcher trying to revive Morgoth. Yet, if the Prince's story was true, he could not stand aside and let the dark sorcerer proceed with his evil plans.
Besides, for some strange reason, his heart was telling him to help the Prince; in fact, it was telling him that he would jump into the very fires of Mordor to keep the Golden One safe or make him happy. A maelstrom of hidden emotions surfaced, tearing at his heart and clouding his mind. These are things that Aragorn was very unfamiliar with as the Man had spent years training himself to hide behind a mask of ice and never let feelings affect his judgment. That was not the only problem. The Man knew what he felt for Glorgalad; it was the same deep eternal love as in the dream, but he had absolutely no idea of why he would feel this way. For the first time in his life, Aragorn was completely confounded.
Glorgalad watched the play of emotions on his beloved face. He felt very guilty for causing Aragorn so much confusion and pain. He had deliberately chosen this scene as the backdrop of the dream because this was where he secretly vowed to always love Aragorn. The Prince wanted this meeting with the Man to be perfect and he could not think of a better situation than that night twenty years ago in Mirkwood.
____________________________________________________________________________ __
FLASHBACK:
YEAR 2999, THIRD AGE OF MIDDLE EARTH, MIRKWOOD
It had been almost half a year since Legolas had seen the Man. Aragorn had arrived earlier in the afternoon, bearing an important message from Lord Elrond to his father. They were in a throne room for more than two hours, discussing the growing darkness in Mordor. The Prince would normally have been included in the conversation, but things were so urgent that they had began before Legolas returned from scouting duty. When they emerged, the Man was whisked away quickly to dress for the banquet in his honor as a royal guest of Mirkwood.
Throughout the evening, the Elf was accosted by so many admirers that Aragorn could not even push his way through to get a single word with the Prince. When the night's festivities concluded, the Man left the palace and wandered the surrounding forest to clear his thoughts. Aragorn knew that the Elf had assured him many times that he held a special place in his heart, but he could not stop the intense jealousy boiling in him when he watched Legolas amidst his suitors.
It was in a small clearing in the quiet woods that the Elven Prince found the Man he loved. He knew Aragorn was jealous. They have known each other for two years now, but because of their duties, they did not have the chance to see each other often. Legolas had visited the Man twice during this time, once in Rivendell and once in the North, among the Dunedains. The two always tried to spend as much time as possible together, but it was difficult with Aragorn's duties and the attention that Legolas kept getting wherever he went. Despite the short duration of their meetings, the Elf knew that he had fallen so in love with Aragorn that there could never be another for him. Regardless of how much of his affections were requited, Legolas knew he would bind himself to the Man, if only to ease Aragorn's fears of losing him to another.
**************************************************************************** **
"Aragorn," spoke Legolas softly.
The Man turned as he acknowledged the Prince, "Yes, Legolas."
"There is something I wish to tell you," whispered the Elf.
"Speak then, my love. You can tell me anything," said Aragorn. He smiled despite his heavy heart. He feared that the Elven Prince would say he no longer love him. He had been watching his Elf spoke with Haldir, the chief Guardian of Lórien, very amicably.
"Ónen guren le, Aragorn, ú-chebain ha anim. Ónen meleth uireb le. [I give my heart to you, Aragorn, I do not keep it for myself. I give you my eternal love.]" the young prince said as he removed a simple emerald and gold band from his finger and placed it into the Man's hand.
"Legolas, I cannot accept this, at least not yet. I love you with all my heart. I wished for nothing more than to have you by my side always. But I am but King without a crown and you are the most sought after Elven Royalty upon Middle Earth."
"I love you for who you are, Aragorn, not your title or your blood. This is my choice, and I choose you." spoke the Prince with a soft smile.
"Legolas..." His protests were cut short when the Elf kissed him gently on his lips and bid him goodnight, leaving the grateful Man in complete reverence of the gift of love from the Golden Prince.
____________________________________________________________________________ __
YEAR 8, FOURTH AGE MIDDLE EARTH, DREAM WORLD
Glorgalad knew their time was almost running out. He could sense his magic weakening, signifying the inevitable approach of dawn. The Prince did not wish to rush his love, but the Man must understand their position. Aragorn was their only Hope. With trepidation, the Watcher asked, "Will you help us, my King?"
At the sound of the words, "my King", the Man finally won the struggle to control his raging emotions. He was the King of Men and he had responsibilities to Middle Earth. His inexplicable feelings for the Golden Prince would have to wait another day.
"I will help you. I will speak with my friends and The Eldars on Middle Earth and enlist their help as well if possible," promised Aragorn.
"I thank you, my Lord," said Glorgalad smiled as he bowed slightly to the King of Men.
**************************************************************************** **
All of a sudden, a flash of memory broke free of the magic barrier and manifested itself clearly in Aragorn's mind. The Watcher was wearing a green jerken, silver shirt and matching green leggings. On his back were a bow and quiver and a pair of knives, bearing the emblem of Mirkwood. The Prince had come on a diplomatic visit for his father and Aragorn had arranged for his accommodations. The Elf had said the exact same thing in the same manner as Glorgalad did seconds ago. The Man somehow knew their relationship was well past formality at this point, but it was still a secret known only to a selected few. Under the prying eyes of the Dunedains, Aragorn had returned the courtesy and replied, "The honor is ours, Prince Legolas."
Legolas... that is the name of the Golden Elf....my mysterious lover. Did that mean Glorgalad lied about his name? But why? And how could I not remember anything more?
A stream of questions continued to plague Aragorn's mind. But before he could confront the Watcher, the dreamscape vanished before his eyes along with the Golden Prince. Instinctively, the King knew the sun had risen. He would wake now and make preparations for a Council. He would write to the Fellowship, Lord Elrond, Lady Galadriel, King Thranduil, King Èomer and Faramir asking them to convene in Gondor to discuss the situation. Tonight, Aragorn would sleep early, for he had a feeling the young Prince would sought his companion once more.