Untold Love – Chapter 3
Fourteen months later Aragorn and Arwen were expecting the birth of their first child. They were wrought with worry and excitement. Aragorn had never seen her as lovely as she was now. Her swollen abdomen made Aragorn burst with pride every time that he laid eyes on her. Aragorn was constantly talking to the baby...telling it stories of myth and lore, signing songs, and teaching it to wield a sword by verbal instruction.
One day as Aragorn was sitting upon his throne Arwen came in, "May we take a walk?"
"Yes, I have been meaning to stretch my legs. Why do you wish to go?"
"I just want to see the gardens." Arwen lied. When really she was feeling restless, she knew something was not right. Taking Aragorn's hand she slowly lumbered out of the palace. Along the way they talked of nothings. Every once and a while Aragorn would stop and run his hand on her stomach.
"This shall be a strong child." He said beaming.
"Yes, strong indeed. For its kicks are strong." Arwen lied again. That was the cause of her constant worry; she no longer felt her child kick or move.
Reaching the gardens they sat upon a stone bench. Just sitting there they smiled in contempt as the sun settled. Arwen breathed in a sharp intake of breath and clutched her stomach. Aragorn looked at her worriedly, "Is everything alright?"
"I have just been having small pains my love, not to worry." Arwen smiled weakly.
"I think we should head back." Aragorn said helping his wife stand. Arwen's steps were slow with the inconsistent pain that was throbbing through her body. Crying out she fell to the ground. Aragorn looked down. He sat next to her tears running down his face, for he had never seen her in so much pain. Helping her up again they hastened to the palace doors.
Aragorn paced nervously in the hallway next to their bed chamber. Every so often he could hear her scream in pain. He winched with the thought that he was the reason she was in this pain. He started walking back and forth the length of the hall, and yet her screams could still be heard. Aragorn's head turned when he heard the sound of light footsteps.
"How is she fairing my friend?" Came the soft voice of Legolas.
"I do not know. They will not let me know or see what is going on." Aragorn replied tearfully. "This has been going on for almost a day now."
"I am sure that all is well." Legolas said masking the fear he felt. He had heard the stories of a long childbirth. He was just hoping that she would survive for Aragorn's sake.
Hours passed and then the screaming stopped. No sound was heard for many minutes before the large door was pushed open. A very weary healer stepped out. Walking over to the pacing King he said, "My Lord." While bowing low to the floor.
"How is my wife, can I go in and see her?" Aragorn asked frantically.
The healer hung his head, "The Queen is not fairing well."
"And the child?"
"The child did not make it; she had passed long before the Lady went into labor. I am sorry my Lord."
Aragorn's chin quivered with sadness. "My daughter has died and my wife is ill. Oh, Valar...why now when I had achieved so much happiness?" he thought. Then aloud he asked the healer, "May I see my wife?"
"Yes my Lord, she was asking for you."
Legolas watched sadly as Aragorn retreated into the room. He had no where else to be so he sat down on the floor waiting for when his friend reappeared.
Aragorn walked into the room. He saw Arwen's frail body laying atop the bed, but aside from Arwen the first thing he saw was the blood. It was everywhere. Aragorn cautiously approached her bed; gently sitting down upon the edge he took Arwen's hand. Arwen's eyes fluttered open. "How is our child, my love?"
"She is as lovely as the moon and stars. She is well." Aragorn lied, hating himself for it. "She is perfect, ten fingers, and ten toes. All is in order."
Arwen smiled then a cough racked her body. She noticed the fear that covered Aragorn's face. "Do not worry my love. I will be alright. I am not afraid to die. Though I wish to see my child before I go. May I?"
"I am sorry, but the healers have taken her away to be cleaned then fed."
"Oh." Arwen said her voice deflated. "What does she look like then...I wish to see a mental picture."
Aragorn filled with sadness as he tried to describe to his dying wife their child he had never seen, "She is very big, very strong, and quite beautiful. She has dark hair and very large blue eyes. She will be as beautiful as you are now."
"What is her name?"
"I wish for you to name her."
"Name my beautiful daughter Celebrien, for my mother. For my mother was beautiful."
"Then that shall be her name. Celebrien..." He whispered.
Arwen smiled then whispered, "All is darkening around me Estel. Do not mourn for now I am happy. Take care of my little Celebrien. Tell her that I love her, and that I loved you above all else."
"Do not leave me!" Aragorn cried leaning onto her chest. "I will not survive without you."
"I love you my dear Estel." Arwen said.
Aragorn then felt her chest stop rising. He looked up to her face and saw her beautiful eyes staring at something so beautiful that none could imagine. A small smile was on her lips. A secretive smile that said, "Follow me my love...but not yet."
Aragorn clutched onto Arwen's clothes tears racking throughout his body. He let out a wounded cry, Legolas walked into the room to take Aragorn away. Legolas lifted Aragorn to his feet, guiding him to the door casting a mournful gaze back at the Elven lady. But Aragorn was not going to leave easily. He fought Legolas' grip until finally Legolas let go. Aragorn did not go back to the edge of Arwen's bed, but instead went to the healer. "Let me see my daughter."
"My Lord I do not think that would be wise."
"Let me see my daughter." Aragorn repeated.
The healer sighed and motioned for another healer to bring forth Aragorn's still born daughter. The healer handed her to Aragorn. "My darling little Celebrien. How short your life was." Aragorn lifted the small blanket to see a perfectly form child. She did in fact have ten fingers and ten toes. She was perfect save for the sickly shade of blue her skin had become. Aragorn ran a finger on her face and wrapped her once again in her blanket.
Without a word Aragorn left the room.
Fourteen months later Aragorn and Arwen were expecting the birth of their first child. They were wrought with worry and excitement. Aragorn had never seen her as lovely as she was now. Her swollen abdomen made Aragorn burst with pride every time that he laid eyes on her. Aragorn was constantly talking to the baby...telling it stories of myth and lore, signing songs, and teaching it to wield a sword by verbal instruction.
One day as Aragorn was sitting upon his throne Arwen came in, "May we take a walk?"
"Yes, I have been meaning to stretch my legs. Why do you wish to go?"
"I just want to see the gardens." Arwen lied. When really she was feeling restless, she knew something was not right. Taking Aragorn's hand she slowly lumbered out of the palace. Along the way they talked of nothings. Every once and a while Aragorn would stop and run his hand on her stomach.
"This shall be a strong child." He said beaming.
"Yes, strong indeed. For its kicks are strong." Arwen lied again. That was the cause of her constant worry; she no longer felt her child kick or move.
Reaching the gardens they sat upon a stone bench. Just sitting there they smiled in contempt as the sun settled. Arwen breathed in a sharp intake of breath and clutched her stomach. Aragorn looked at her worriedly, "Is everything alright?"
"I have just been having small pains my love, not to worry." Arwen smiled weakly.
"I think we should head back." Aragorn said helping his wife stand. Arwen's steps were slow with the inconsistent pain that was throbbing through her body. Crying out she fell to the ground. Aragorn looked down. He sat next to her tears running down his face, for he had never seen her in so much pain. Helping her up again they hastened to the palace doors.
Aragorn paced nervously in the hallway next to their bed chamber. Every so often he could hear her scream in pain. He winched with the thought that he was the reason she was in this pain. He started walking back and forth the length of the hall, and yet her screams could still be heard. Aragorn's head turned when he heard the sound of light footsteps.
"How is she fairing my friend?" Came the soft voice of Legolas.
"I do not know. They will not let me know or see what is going on." Aragorn replied tearfully. "This has been going on for almost a day now."
"I am sure that all is well." Legolas said masking the fear he felt. He had heard the stories of a long childbirth. He was just hoping that she would survive for Aragorn's sake.
Hours passed and then the screaming stopped. No sound was heard for many minutes before the large door was pushed open. A very weary healer stepped out. Walking over to the pacing King he said, "My Lord." While bowing low to the floor.
"How is my wife, can I go in and see her?" Aragorn asked frantically.
The healer hung his head, "The Queen is not fairing well."
"And the child?"
"The child did not make it; she had passed long before the Lady went into labor. I am sorry my Lord."
Aragorn's chin quivered with sadness. "My daughter has died and my wife is ill. Oh, Valar...why now when I had achieved so much happiness?" he thought. Then aloud he asked the healer, "May I see my wife?"
"Yes my Lord, she was asking for you."
Legolas watched sadly as Aragorn retreated into the room. He had no where else to be so he sat down on the floor waiting for when his friend reappeared.
Aragorn walked into the room. He saw Arwen's frail body laying atop the bed, but aside from Arwen the first thing he saw was the blood. It was everywhere. Aragorn cautiously approached her bed; gently sitting down upon the edge he took Arwen's hand. Arwen's eyes fluttered open. "How is our child, my love?"
"She is as lovely as the moon and stars. She is well." Aragorn lied, hating himself for it. "She is perfect, ten fingers, and ten toes. All is in order."
Arwen smiled then a cough racked her body. She noticed the fear that covered Aragorn's face. "Do not worry my love. I will be alright. I am not afraid to die. Though I wish to see my child before I go. May I?"
"I am sorry, but the healers have taken her away to be cleaned then fed."
"Oh." Arwen said her voice deflated. "What does she look like then...I wish to see a mental picture."
Aragorn filled with sadness as he tried to describe to his dying wife their child he had never seen, "She is very big, very strong, and quite beautiful. She has dark hair and very large blue eyes. She will be as beautiful as you are now."
"What is her name?"
"I wish for you to name her."
"Name my beautiful daughter Celebrien, for my mother. For my mother was beautiful."
"Then that shall be her name. Celebrien..." He whispered.
Arwen smiled then whispered, "All is darkening around me Estel. Do not mourn for now I am happy. Take care of my little Celebrien. Tell her that I love her, and that I loved you above all else."
"Do not leave me!" Aragorn cried leaning onto her chest. "I will not survive without you."
"I love you my dear Estel." Arwen said.
Aragorn then felt her chest stop rising. He looked up to her face and saw her beautiful eyes staring at something so beautiful that none could imagine. A small smile was on her lips. A secretive smile that said, "Follow me my love...but not yet."
Aragorn clutched onto Arwen's clothes tears racking throughout his body. He let out a wounded cry, Legolas walked into the room to take Aragorn away. Legolas lifted Aragorn to his feet, guiding him to the door casting a mournful gaze back at the Elven lady. But Aragorn was not going to leave easily. He fought Legolas' grip until finally Legolas let go. Aragorn did not go back to the edge of Arwen's bed, but instead went to the healer. "Let me see my daughter."
"My Lord I do not think that would be wise."
"Let me see my daughter." Aragorn repeated.
The healer sighed and motioned for another healer to bring forth Aragorn's still born daughter. The healer handed her to Aragorn. "My darling little Celebrien. How short your life was." Aragorn lifted the small blanket to see a perfectly form child. She did in fact have ten fingers and ten toes. She was perfect save for the sickly shade of blue her skin had become. Aragorn ran a finger on her face and wrapped her once again in her blanket.
Without a word Aragorn left the room.