Untold Love – Chapter 10
Aranel rushed down the stairs of the palace. "I can not be late! He said that he was coming home today!"
From the second level she could see his horse returning with him on it. She ran down the stairs faster so she could reach the cities gates on time. But she did not run fast enough. When Aragorn reached the open gates he did not see her. Disheartened he dismounted his horse and began to walk towards the stables. "Here I am! Here I am don't go!" Aranel cried before she could even see him.
Aragorn stopped dead in his tracks and noticed the crowd being forcefully parted. Aranel pushed herself through the crowd and stumbled into his arms, giggling as she fell. Aragorn grasped her tightly around her thin frame and tried to take in all of her at once. Her eyes were dancing with happiness and her golden hair was tousled around her face. "Do you know how much I have missed you?"
"If you have missed me as much as I have missed you, then you must have been terribly lonely."
Aragorn smiled and took her hands in his. "Then I have missed you beyond all reason. To be that far from you was like I was dead."
Keeping her hands intertwined with his she replied, "Then you must have come back to haunt me, unless we are both now of the spirit world."
Laughing Aragorn released her hands and began walking towards the palace. Reaching the doors of the Great Hall Aragorn sat upon his throne. Aranel took a place at his feet and placed her head and arms upon his knee. "Have you seen my brother lately? I have not seen him for almost a month. He went missing the day I came. I am worried about him."
"I also find that strange. No I have not seen him, nor heard anything about him. Why do you ask?"
"I am just a worried sister that wishes to find her brother. The only family I have left..." she said letting her words drift off.
"It is almost time to eat. Are you ready? Or do you need to get ready? " "I will be right back then, for I just need to make myself somewhat presentable."
Aragorn smiled to himself as he watched her figure turn towards her hall. She shot him a smile and hurried down the corridor.
Aranel went back to her room to find Legolas soundly sleeping in a chair next to the door of her bedroom. "Legolas! What are you doing here?"
Legolas awoke instantly and stood up. "What do you think you are doing with the King?"
"Legolas! What are you talking about?"
"The first night you were in the city. I saw you and Aragorn...together...I know you disappeared into his room in the middle of the night."
"We have done nothing wrong!" Aranel said defensively.
"I am afraid that you fall in love with him and will stay here with him waiting to die!"
"Don't talk such nonsense. I have not given away anything, for he has not accepted my love."
"Aranel you speak a lie...he has been in love with you just as you have been in love with him." Legolas said solemnly.
And she knew that it was true.
"Why are you doing this to yourself? Why are you falling in love with someone that you can never have? Does your family mean nothing to you?" Legolas accusingly asked.
With tears streaming down her face Aranel struggled to regain her composure before answering. "Legolas, I love him. It is as simple as that. I could not help it, it was one of those things that just happens. I have been so happy, don't take away my happiness! Please." she ended with a whisper.
Angrily Legolas stormed out of her room and practically ran down the hall. He was so distraught with what his sister said he did not notice Aragorn as he passed him. Aragorn upon noticing that his good friend was almost to tears did not follow him, but did go faster down the hall to Aranel's room. Reaching her room Aragorn found her staring out the window with tears silently flowing down her face. Sensing his arrival Aranel said, "Aragorn, I should have told you this the first time I met you."
Feeling a sense of dread Aragorn walked over to her and placed his arms around her waist while leaning on her back. "What is it." He whispered not really wanting understand what it was.
"Aragorn I am in love with you. I have been in love with you since the first time we walked together. I fell in love with you, and he knows. And he is afraid. Afraid for me. Legolas does not want to be left behind." Wrapping her arms around his she turned to face him, "Aragorn do you love me?"
Holding her even tighter Aragorn took in a deep breath and replied, "I thought that I could never love again when Arwen was gone. It was as if there was a gaping hole in my heart where she once was. You became the piece that was missing. You became my everything. When I was away from you, I really did feel like I had died. I was so lonely without you."
"Aragorn, you did not answer my question. Do you love me?"
"Yes Aranel. I do love you. I love you with every part of my being."
Aranel looked into his eyes and kissed him on his cheek, "I'm glad." Then she turned and faced the city once more. They stood still and looked onto the city until the sun fell behind the mountains.
Aranel rushed down the stairs of the palace. "I can not be late! He said that he was coming home today!"
From the second level she could see his horse returning with him on it. She ran down the stairs faster so she could reach the cities gates on time. But she did not run fast enough. When Aragorn reached the open gates he did not see her. Disheartened he dismounted his horse and began to walk towards the stables. "Here I am! Here I am don't go!" Aranel cried before she could even see him.
Aragorn stopped dead in his tracks and noticed the crowd being forcefully parted. Aranel pushed herself through the crowd and stumbled into his arms, giggling as she fell. Aragorn grasped her tightly around her thin frame and tried to take in all of her at once. Her eyes were dancing with happiness and her golden hair was tousled around her face. "Do you know how much I have missed you?"
"If you have missed me as much as I have missed you, then you must have been terribly lonely."
Aragorn smiled and took her hands in his. "Then I have missed you beyond all reason. To be that far from you was like I was dead."
Keeping her hands intertwined with his she replied, "Then you must have come back to haunt me, unless we are both now of the spirit world."
Laughing Aragorn released her hands and began walking towards the palace. Reaching the doors of the Great Hall Aragorn sat upon his throne. Aranel took a place at his feet and placed her head and arms upon his knee. "Have you seen my brother lately? I have not seen him for almost a month. He went missing the day I came. I am worried about him."
"I also find that strange. No I have not seen him, nor heard anything about him. Why do you ask?"
"I am just a worried sister that wishes to find her brother. The only family I have left..." she said letting her words drift off.
"It is almost time to eat. Are you ready? Or do you need to get ready? " "I will be right back then, for I just need to make myself somewhat presentable."
Aragorn smiled to himself as he watched her figure turn towards her hall. She shot him a smile and hurried down the corridor.
Aranel went back to her room to find Legolas soundly sleeping in a chair next to the door of her bedroom. "Legolas! What are you doing here?"
Legolas awoke instantly and stood up. "What do you think you are doing with the King?"
"Legolas! What are you talking about?"
"The first night you were in the city. I saw you and Aragorn...together...I know you disappeared into his room in the middle of the night."
"We have done nothing wrong!" Aranel said defensively.
"I am afraid that you fall in love with him and will stay here with him waiting to die!"
"Don't talk such nonsense. I have not given away anything, for he has not accepted my love."
"Aranel you speak a lie...he has been in love with you just as you have been in love with him." Legolas said solemnly.
And she knew that it was true.
"Why are you doing this to yourself? Why are you falling in love with someone that you can never have? Does your family mean nothing to you?" Legolas accusingly asked.
With tears streaming down her face Aranel struggled to regain her composure before answering. "Legolas, I love him. It is as simple as that. I could not help it, it was one of those things that just happens. I have been so happy, don't take away my happiness! Please." she ended with a whisper.
Angrily Legolas stormed out of her room and practically ran down the hall. He was so distraught with what his sister said he did not notice Aragorn as he passed him. Aragorn upon noticing that his good friend was almost to tears did not follow him, but did go faster down the hall to Aranel's room. Reaching her room Aragorn found her staring out the window with tears silently flowing down her face. Sensing his arrival Aranel said, "Aragorn, I should have told you this the first time I met you."
Feeling a sense of dread Aragorn walked over to her and placed his arms around her waist while leaning on her back. "What is it." He whispered not really wanting understand what it was.
"Aragorn I am in love with you. I have been in love with you since the first time we walked together. I fell in love with you, and he knows. And he is afraid. Afraid for me. Legolas does not want to be left behind." Wrapping her arms around his she turned to face him, "Aragorn do you love me?"
Holding her even tighter Aragorn took in a deep breath and replied, "I thought that I could never love again when Arwen was gone. It was as if there was a gaping hole in my heart where she once was. You became the piece that was missing. You became my everything. When I was away from you, I really did feel like I had died. I was so lonely without you."
"Aragorn, you did not answer my question. Do you love me?"
"Yes Aranel. I do love you. I love you with every part of my being."
Aranel looked into his eyes and kissed him on his cheek, "I'm glad." Then she turned and faced the city once more. They stood still and looked onto the city until the sun fell behind the mountains.