Disclaimer: Don't own anything.
Please, please review. I cannot believe how fast the review count reached 180 after the end of part I. In response to the enthusiastic response, I am beginning to write this chapter now. I am actually on a ski trip, in a car, writing on my laptop. But, I really want to be able to put this out as soon as possible as a special thank you to all my reviewers and readers.
Thanks Ithildin for being beta again. Today's Aragorn's birthday. Thought this would be a nice little gift for him as well as readers of the fiction.
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Prince of Dreams, Part 2
Prologue: A Fresh Start
Varda watched the scene before her with teary eyes. It was the second time this had happened - lovers so true torn apart by fate. She wanted to help them, these valiant warriors who had given so much for the good of Middle Earth. But there was nothing she could do. As one of the Valar, it was not her place to interfere with the fate of Middle Earth directly. When Legolas was forced to trade his happiness for the survival of Gondor eleven years ago, all she could do was to save the Prince's discarded physical form and keep it hidden in Valinor if Legolas ever returned.
And now, once again, the Prince was forced to make the ultimate sacrifice for his people and those on Middle Earth. If only Legolas' spirit had come to the Halls of Mandos after his death like other slain Elves. All she needed to do was to ask Mandos to free the young one's soul and return it to his Elven body. But as an Eternal Watcher, Legolas' spirit had disintegrated and traveled back to his own realm to hover the skies in complete oblivion. With some help from the other Valar, she could garner enough power to guide the Prince back to the living, into the body in Valinor. But this would be impossible without breaking the ancient laws of their kind.
In the beginning of time, Ilúvatar created the Holy Ones, the offspring of His thoughts. Together with these primordial spirits, they created the Music of the Ainur from which the 'real World' ultimately descended. But some of Ilúvatar's children chose to not participate in the creation of this Vision of the World. Content with their state, these spirits requested permission to build their own realm, where they could exist without the confines of a physical form. Ilúvatar granted their wish and these Holy Ones were the ancestors of the Tirn Uipira.
These ancient spirits had long since chosen to dissipate to hover the skies in their realm. Over the years, they quickly found out that existence without purpose was no life at all. Thus, the Eternal Watchers themselves did not know how they came into being. When Ilúvatar granted these spirits' wishes, He also gave them autonomy to govern their realm. The Valar, bound to the physical World in Arda, could not interfere with the business in the Watcher's realm unless their help was called for.
Thus, unless Alagos requested their assistance, Varda could not help the Prince. While she was certain the King of the Eternal Watchers would be eager to have his golden son back; she was equally sure that Alagos would never allow his child to resume physical form and stay with his true love on Middle Earth. And the Vala knew that bringing Legolas back, only to have him watch his beloved Man grieved for him from afar, would be more cruel than allowing him to exist in oblivion for all eternity.
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It was in this state that her husband, Manwë, the most powerful of the Valar found his Queen. Looking at her beloved mate, Varda could not stop shedding the tears of sympathy for the lovers once more. "I love you so much," whispered the Queen of Arda as she buried her face in her husband's chest to hide her tears.
"What's wrong, love?" asked Manwë with concern. It had been a long while since he had seen his wife cried. It would take something terrible to upset Varda so. And then, there was the way his beloved just declared her love. It was as if she feared something bad would happen to tear them apart. As the most powerful beings on Arda, that just simply did not make sense.
"Nothing, darling. Just love me," sobbed the Queen of Arda softly, raising her head to give her King a pleading gaze.
After leaning close to give his wife a tender kiss, Manwë swept her off her feet, carrying her back to their bedroom in a tight embrace. "I will never leave you, love," vowed the King of Arda softly. He would get to the root of his wife's sorrow later; now was the time to show his beloved Queen the extent of his love.
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Alagos sat alone on his throne, mourning the loss of his child. He had always believed that Eternal Watchers could not love, but at this moment, he knew he was wrong. He was too blind to see it then, when he had a chance to pursue happiness; and now, it was too late. It all began many millennia ago with Gwindor, a golden beauty whose light was unrivalled in their realm. Alagos was young then, just made King after his father chose to dissipate to hover the skies. He remembered needing the other Watcher so much that his heart ached whenever the beauty was not by his side. Alagos was so ashamed of his feelings that he sent the object of his desire away from his court. Little did he realize his act of denial would cost Gwindor his life.
Guilt-ridden and more heart-broken than he would admit, the King of the Tirn Uipira gathered all his powers and light to cast a spell which would bring his beloved back to the living. Alagos channeled Gwindor's energy into the womb of his mate to conceive his youngest 'son', Glorgalad. The young Prince grew to be everything the King imagined and more. He was gorgeous, powerful, spirited and talented beyond the ancient Watcher's expectations. Though now separated by their relationship as father and son, the King loved the golden beauty all the same. All he wanted was to keep Glorgalad safely by his side for all eternity.
But powerful as he was, Alagos had once again failed to protect the only one he loved. He would have given his own life in exchange for Glorgalad's. But there was naught he could do. The agony of losing his beloved a second time was even more difficult to bear; this time, his magic was not strong enough to bring that vivacious soul back to life. So absorbed was the King in his grief that he failed to notice his visitor from Arda.
"My Lord," said Manwë quietly, startling the ancient Watcher out of his pensive mood. He knew he was much older and more powerful than Alagos, but he wished to be polite so the King would hear his proposal.
The intruder upon Alagos' grief appeared to be a handsome young Man, shrouded in brilliant white light. With dark hair the color of rich earth and deep-green eyes, reminiscent of ancient forests, the Watcher could tell the being was a 'Holy One' from Arda. Though the visitor wore an open, unguarded expression, power and regality emanated from him. It would seem that Manwë, the most powerful of the Valar had come to visit. Regarding his uninvited guest with suspicion, the Tirn Uipira asked, "Are you not the King of Arda who is bound to that World until the end of time?" He knew the Valar had the power to travel through realms unhindered, but it was their Father's wish for them to remain on Arda. Manwë's coming to the realm of the Tirn Uipira was pushing the limits of the ancient laws of their kind.
"Yes and I am here to make a proposal concerning your child," replied the Vala quietly, wanting to get to the heart of the matter as soon as possible. He could not stay long. Strictly speaking, he had no right to come here; but he would bend the rules set forth by Ilúvatar just this once for true love's sake.
Narrowing his eyes, Alagos cautiously said, "I am listening."
"With the powers of the Valar combined, we could bring your child back to the living," explained Manwë as he studied the Watcher to gauge his reaction.
That statement got the ancient Tirn Uipira's attention. But Alagos was not so naïve as to not realize there must be a catch. The Valar had no reason to help him bring Glorgalad back. "And?"
"But we can only channel his spirit back into his Elven body in Middle Earth," continued the King of Arda quietly.
"No!" thundered Alagos, "I would be dead before I see my child with THAT mortal!"
The Watcher's reaction surprised Manwë quite a bit. Though the Vala had expected the King of the Tirn Uipira to be not entirely thrilled with the idea of resurrecting his child as Legolas on Middle Earth, he did not anticipate the anger and contempt Alagos had towards Aragorn. The Watcher just acted more like a jealous lover than a possessive father.
After overcoming his initiation shock, Manwë spoke again. "Do not be too hasty in your objections, my lord. When your son returns to Middle Earth, he will be without any memories of the past. He will remember nothing of his life as Glorgalad or Legolas. So here is what I propose: if Aragorn can gain his love again within three months, we will all work together to make the Man immortal, the mate of the Golden Prince till the end of time. If the King of Gondor fails in winning the beauty's heart before the time limit, Glorgalad will be returned to you, where he will stay by your side in the realm of the Tirn Uipira forever."
The Vala had spent much time thinking about this compromise; and watching the play of expressions on Alagos' face, he believed he might just have found the right one to lure the King of the Eternal Watcher into giving them permission.
"One month. If they marry within a month, they will have my blessings as well as my help in making Aragorn immortal," said the Watcher quietly after considering the Vala's proposal carefully. Without memories, Glorgalad would not truly be his child anymore. He could convince his People and the young one that he was Gwindor reborn, which was the truth, in any case. This would give him a chance to right the wrongs of the past, to pursue the golden beauty as his mate.
"Very well," smiled Manwë, confident that the Man would be able to charm the Prince the moment they met. Legolas might not have memories of his lover, but an intense love such as theirs would not fade, even after death and resurrection. The Golden Elf would feel their bond, though he might not understand his feelings.
"You have my permission to bring Glorgalad back," replied Alagos with a cunning smile of his own. He could see that the Vala was confident of Aragorn's success, but Manwë did not know the Man or his 'son' as he did. The King of Gondor would be weighed down by the recent loss of his Queen. He would consider it too soon to court another, even if Legolas was his one true love. As for the golden beauty, he would be too selfless to press the Man into action. He would suffer in silence, waiting for Aragorn to recover from his 'heartbreak', to be ready to love another again. One month would not be enough time for the couple to find love and be bounded as one. Soon, Alagos would have his beloved by his side once more.
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Darkness subsided. Replacing it was a riot of colors, sensations and sounds. He did not know where he was or how he got there. He tried to remember who he was, but the knowledge was drowned in the sea of chaos that surrounded him. He struggled to return to the blissful darkness, scared that he, like his name, would become lost in this strange place, this gateway between consciousness and oblivion. But his efforts were wasted. Soon, light engulfed him, drawing him deeper into the chaotic world of colors. He cried out in fear, not wishing to enter this realm of the unknown, but no sound came.
It was at this moment that an image appeared and calmed the frenzy of sensations that overwhelmed him. An image of a dark-haired Man with noble features and loving grey eyes filled his senses, repelling the assault of all other stimuli that clamored for his attention. He felt safe and warm now, content to be lost in the sensation of being with this Man. Smiling, he allowed the light to guide him to his final destination. He knew that no matter where his path led, this handsome stranger would be there. And as long as the Man was with him, everything would be all right.
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It was well-past midnight that an exhausted Aragorn returned to his rooms. Three months had passed since the fateful night he lost his wife and the love of his life. His allies had returned to their homes after Arwen's funeral, not wanting to stay in Gondor any longer than necessary. The city reminded them too much of their pain, their grief over the loss of a beloved kin, the fading of the Evenstar of the Elves.
Now, the Man was alone, faced with the duties of a King and a single parent. He could have left the caring of his children to his staff, but he knew his children needed his love to see them through their mother's death. He cared about his children too much to allow them to suffer the pain of growing up without parental guidance. Aragorn knew first-hand how it was like to be an orphan; for all the love his foster family showed him in Rivendell, the Man still spent each night wishing he knew his parents.
So it was that Aragorn spent his days holding court, his afternoons with his children and his nights reading over parchments to prepare for the next day. He barely had time to sleep, which was his only solace in his lonely existence. In his dreams, he would see Legolas again, full of life, warmth and love. It did not matter what they did in these dreams, what was important was that his Prince was there with him, making the agony of living each day worthwhile.
Every time the Man thought he could not bear this heartbreak or his burden as King and father, all he needed to do was to remember that his beloved awaited him in his sleep. Legolas believed in his strength. Aragorn would not fail his Prince again. He would carry on, doing his duty to his people and family. Even if he had nothing else to live for on Middle Earth, he would always have his dreams.
After changing into his nightshirt, the Man settled comfortably in his empty bed and waited for slumber to claim him, to reunite him and his beloved Prince. But this night, something was different. The dreamscape had changed; Legolas was no longer there to welcome him with a warm smile. Aragorn willed his lover to be there with him, but the Elf was still nowhere in sight.
Before panic and despair claimed him, the image of his sweet Prince in slumber appeared. As the Man marveled at how exquisite his lover looked in peaceful sleep, the dream Legolas drew a sharp breath as his eyes flickered open. What Aragorn saw there filled him with dread; there was no recognition in his beloved's eyes as they regarded him - no love, no warmth, only confusion. Startled, the Man ran as fast as he could, wanting to leave this nightmare in which Legolas no longer loved him. Soon, Aragorn's wishes were granted as he awoke with a start..but not before the words spoken by an unfamiliar baritone were seared into his mind, "There is always hope."
Please, please review. I cannot believe how fast the review count reached 180 after the end of part I. In response to the enthusiastic response, I am beginning to write this chapter now. I am actually on a ski trip, in a car, writing on my laptop. But, I really want to be able to put this out as soon as possible as a special thank you to all my reviewers and readers.
Thanks Ithildin for being beta again. Today's Aragorn's birthday. Thought this would be a nice little gift for him as well as readers of the fiction.
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Prince of Dreams, Part 2
Prologue: A Fresh Start
Varda watched the scene before her with teary eyes. It was the second time this had happened - lovers so true torn apart by fate. She wanted to help them, these valiant warriors who had given so much for the good of Middle Earth. But there was nothing she could do. As one of the Valar, it was not her place to interfere with the fate of Middle Earth directly. When Legolas was forced to trade his happiness for the survival of Gondor eleven years ago, all she could do was to save the Prince's discarded physical form and keep it hidden in Valinor if Legolas ever returned.
And now, once again, the Prince was forced to make the ultimate sacrifice for his people and those on Middle Earth. If only Legolas' spirit had come to the Halls of Mandos after his death like other slain Elves. All she needed to do was to ask Mandos to free the young one's soul and return it to his Elven body. But as an Eternal Watcher, Legolas' spirit had disintegrated and traveled back to his own realm to hover the skies in complete oblivion. With some help from the other Valar, she could garner enough power to guide the Prince back to the living, into the body in Valinor. But this would be impossible without breaking the ancient laws of their kind.
In the beginning of time, Ilúvatar created the Holy Ones, the offspring of His thoughts. Together with these primordial spirits, they created the Music of the Ainur from which the 'real World' ultimately descended. But some of Ilúvatar's children chose to not participate in the creation of this Vision of the World. Content with their state, these spirits requested permission to build their own realm, where they could exist without the confines of a physical form. Ilúvatar granted their wish and these Holy Ones were the ancestors of the Tirn Uipira.
These ancient spirits had long since chosen to dissipate to hover the skies in their realm. Over the years, they quickly found out that existence without purpose was no life at all. Thus, the Eternal Watchers themselves did not know how they came into being. When Ilúvatar granted these spirits' wishes, He also gave them autonomy to govern their realm. The Valar, bound to the physical World in Arda, could not interfere with the business in the Watcher's realm unless their help was called for.
Thus, unless Alagos requested their assistance, Varda could not help the Prince. While she was certain the King of the Eternal Watchers would be eager to have his golden son back; she was equally sure that Alagos would never allow his child to resume physical form and stay with his true love on Middle Earth. And the Vala knew that bringing Legolas back, only to have him watch his beloved Man grieved for him from afar, would be more cruel than allowing him to exist in oblivion for all eternity.
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It was in this state that her husband, Manwë, the most powerful of the Valar found his Queen. Looking at her beloved mate, Varda could not stop shedding the tears of sympathy for the lovers once more. "I love you so much," whispered the Queen of Arda as she buried her face in her husband's chest to hide her tears.
"What's wrong, love?" asked Manwë with concern. It had been a long while since he had seen his wife cried. It would take something terrible to upset Varda so. And then, there was the way his beloved just declared her love. It was as if she feared something bad would happen to tear them apart. As the most powerful beings on Arda, that just simply did not make sense.
"Nothing, darling. Just love me," sobbed the Queen of Arda softly, raising her head to give her King a pleading gaze.
After leaning close to give his wife a tender kiss, Manwë swept her off her feet, carrying her back to their bedroom in a tight embrace. "I will never leave you, love," vowed the King of Arda softly. He would get to the root of his wife's sorrow later; now was the time to show his beloved Queen the extent of his love.
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Alagos sat alone on his throne, mourning the loss of his child. He had always believed that Eternal Watchers could not love, but at this moment, he knew he was wrong. He was too blind to see it then, when he had a chance to pursue happiness; and now, it was too late. It all began many millennia ago with Gwindor, a golden beauty whose light was unrivalled in their realm. Alagos was young then, just made King after his father chose to dissipate to hover the skies. He remembered needing the other Watcher so much that his heart ached whenever the beauty was not by his side. Alagos was so ashamed of his feelings that he sent the object of his desire away from his court. Little did he realize his act of denial would cost Gwindor his life.
Guilt-ridden and more heart-broken than he would admit, the King of the Tirn Uipira gathered all his powers and light to cast a spell which would bring his beloved back to the living. Alagos channeled Gwindor's energy into the womb of his mate to conceive his youngest 'son', Glorgalad. The young Prince grew to be everything the King imagined and more. He was gorgeous, powerful, spirited and talented beyond the ancient Watcher's expectations. Though now separated by their relationship as father and son, the King loved the golden beauty all the same. All he wanted was to keep Glorgalad safely by his side for all eternity.
But powerful as he was, Alagos had once again failed to protect the only one he loved. He would have given his own life in exchange for Glorgalad's. But there was naught he could do. The agony of losing his beloved a second time was even more difficult to bear; this time, his magic was not strong enough to bring that vivacious soul back to life. So absorbed was the King in his grief that he failed to notice his visitor from Arda.
"My Lord," said Manwë quietly, startling the ancient Watcher out of his pensive mood. He knew he was much older and more powerful than Alagos, but he wished to be polite so the King would hear his proposal.
The intruder upon Alagos' grief appeared to be a handsome young Man, shrouded in brilliant white light. With dark hair the color of rich earth and deep-green eyes, reminiscent of ancient forests, the Watcher could tell the being was a 'Holy One' from Arda. Though the visitor wore an open, unguarded expression, power and regality emanated from him. It would seem that Manwë, the most powerful of the Valar had come to visit. Regarding his uninvited guest with suspicion, the Tirn Uipira asked, "Are you not the King of Arda who is bound to that World until the end of time?" He knew the Valar had the power to travel through realms unhindered, but it was their Father's wish for them to remain on Arda. Manwë's coming to the realm of the Tirn Uipira was pushing the limits of the ancient laws of their kind.
"Yes and I am here to make a proposal concerning your child," replied the Vala quietly, wanting to get to the heart of the matter as soon as possible. He could not stay long. Strictly speaking, he had no right to come here; but he would bend the rules set forth by Ilúvatar just this once for true love's sake.
Narrowing his eyes, Alagos cautiously said, "I am listening."
"With the powers of the Valar combined, we could bring your child back to the living," explained Manwë as he studied the Watcher to gauge his reaction.
That statement got the ancient Tirn Uipira's attention. But Alagos was not so naïve as to not realize there must be a catch. The Valar had no reason to help him bring Glorgalad back. "And?"
"But we can only channel his spirit back into his Elven body in Middle Earth," continued the King of Arda quietly.
"No!" thundered Alagos, "I would be dead before I see my child with THAT mortal!"
The Watcher's reaction surprised Manwë quite a bit. Though the Vala had expected the King of the Tirn Uipira to be not entirely thrilled with the idea of resurrecting his child as Legolas on Middle Earth, he did not anticipate the anger and contempt Alagos had towards Aragorn. The Watcher just acted more like a jealous lover than a possessive father.
After overcoming his initiation shock, Manwë spoke again. "Do not be too hasty in your objections, my lord. When your son returns to Middle Earth, he will be without any memories of the past. He will remember nothing of his life as Glorgalad or Legolas. So here is what I propose: if Aragorn can gain his love again within three months, we will all work together to make the Man immortal, the mate of the Golden Prince till the end of time. If the King of Gondor fails in winning the beauty's heart before the time limit, Glorgalad will be returned to you, where he will stay by your side in the realm of the Tirn Uipira forever."
The Vala had spent much time thinking about this compromise; and watching the play of expressions on Alagos' face, he believed he might just have found the right one to lure the King of the Eternal Watcher into giving them permission.
"One month. If they marry within a month, they will have my blessings as well as my help in making Aragorn immortal," said the Watcher quietly after considering the Vala's proposal carefully. Without memories, Glorgalad would not truly be his child anymore. He could convince his People and the young one that he was Gwindor reborn, which was the truth, in any case. This would give him a chance to right the wrongs of the past, to pursue the golden beauty as his mate.
"Very well," smiled Manwë, confident that the Man would be able to charm the Prince the moment they met. Legolas might not have memories of his lover, but an intense love such as theirs would not fade, even after death and resurrection. The Golden Elf would feel their bond, though he might not understand his feelings.
"You have my permission to bring Glorgalad back," replied Alagos with a cunning smile of his own. He could see that the Vala was confident of Aragorn's success, but Manwë did not know the Man or his 'son' as he did. The King of Gondor would be weighed down by the recent loss of his Queen. He would consider it too soon to court another, even if Legolas was his one true love. As for the golden beauty, he would be too selfless to press the Man into action. He would suffer in silence, waiting for Aragorn to recover from his 'heartbreak', to be ready to love another again. One month would not be enough time for the couple to find love and be bounded as one. Soon, Alagos would have his beloved by his side once more.
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Darkness subsided. Replacing it was a riot of colors, sensations and sounds. He did not know where he was or how he got there. He tried to remember who he was, but the knowledge was drowned in the sea of chaos that surrounded him. He struggled to return to the blissful darkness, scared that he, like his name, would become lost in this strange place, this gateway between consciousness and oblivion. But his efforts were wasted. Soon, light engulfed him, drawing him deeper into the chaotic world of colors. He cried out in fear, not wishing to enter this realm of the unknown, but no sound came.
It was at this moment that an image appeared and calmed the frenzy of sensations that overwhelmed him. An image of a dark-haired Man with noble features and loving grey eyes filled his senses, repelling the assault of all other stimuli that clamored for his attention. He felt safe and warm now, content to be lost in the sensation of being with this Man. Smiling, he allowed the light to guide him to his final destination. He knew that no matter where his path led, this handsome stranger would be there. And as long as the Man was with him, everything would be all right.
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It was well-past midnight that an exhausted Aragorn returned to his rooms. Three months had passed since the fateful night he lost his wife and the love of his life. His allies had returned to their homes after Arwen's funeral, not wanting to stay in Gondor any longer than necessary. The city reminded them too much of their pain, their grief over the loss of a beloved kin, the fading of the Evenstar of the Elves.
Now, the Man was alone, faced with the duties of a King and a single parent. He could have left the caring of his children to his staff, but he knew his children needed his love to see them through their mother's death. He cared about his children too much to allow them to suffer the pain of growing up without parental guidance. Aragorn knew first-hand how it was like to be an orphan; for all the love his foster family showed him in Rivendell, the Man still spent each night wishing he knew his parents.
So it was that Aragorn spent his days holding court, his afternoons with his children and his nights reading over parchments to prepare for the next day. He barely had time to sleep, which was his only solace in his lonely existence. In his dreams, he would see Legolas again, full of life, warmth and love. It did not matter what they did in these dreams, what was important was that his Prince was there with him, making the agony of living each day worthwhile.
Every time the Man thought he could not bear this heartbreak or his burden as King and father, all he needed to do was to remember that his beloved awaited him in his sleep. Legolas believed in his strength. Aragorn would not fail his Prince again. He would carry on, doing his duty to his people and family. Even if he had nothing else to live for on Middle Earth, he would always have his dreams.
After changing into his nightshirt, the Man settled comfortably in his empty bed and waited for slumber to claim him, to reunite him and his beloved Prince. But this night, something was different. The dreamscape had changed; Legolas was no longer there to welcome him with a warm smile. Aragorn willed his lover to be there with him, but the Elf was still nowhere in sight.
Before panic and despair claimed him, the image of his sweet Prince in slumber appeared. As the Man marveled at how exquisite his lover looked in peaceful sleep, the dream Legolas drew a sharp breath as his eyes flickered open. What Aragorn saw there filled him with dread; there was no recognition in his beloved's eyes as they regarded him - no love, no warmth, only confusion. Startled, the Man ran as fast as he could, wanting to leave this nightmare in which Legolas no longer loved him. Soon, Aragorn's wishes were granted as he awoke with a start..but not before the words spoken by an unfamiliar baritone were seared into his mind, "There is always hope."