Author's note: Hey, it's me again! Here to update another chapter! Thanks for all the reviews! The lembas scene with Merry was very funny! Boromir won't be making an appearance for a little while yet, so bear with me please! Please!!! I'll try to make it in the next couple of chapters! I know you all are impatient for him to appear, and so am I. But I guess I do tend to drag things out a bit. -_- Oh, the agony!!!
Sorry, I'm still a little sleepy I guess. I tend to get silly when I'm sleepy, so I'll shut up now! Enjoy!
Rhovanion's Child by Shelly
CHAPTER SEVEN
Aragorn noticed Rhiannon's swift departure with more than a passing curiosity, and he excused himself from his conversation with King Thranduil to go have a word with his son, who no doubt knew what was going on judging from the pained expression on his elven features. He pulled the young prince aside to speak with him privately. "Legolas, what is going on? I saw Rhiannon leave and it looked as if she was in a hurry."
The elf sighed heavily as he gazed in the direction that she had gone. "I spoke with her upon a very important matter, Aragorn, one which you have neglected to tell her about. And now her heart bleeds, something which could have been avoided long ago," he added as he brought his gaze back to the ranger's, telling him without words that he was not pleased with him.
Aragorn met his gaze evenly. "I see. You told her about my betrothal to Arwen." Legolas nodded his agreement, earning a frustrated growl from the ranger. "I wish you had let me be the one to tell her," he ground out.
"Would you have told her?" he asked pointedly, unwavering in the face of the other's anger. He had known Rhiannon since she was young and often thought of her as his daughter, which was strange since he looked about the same age as she and yet was so much older. Yet it still sat ill with him to know that Aragorn had not bothered to tell her such an important fact, especially after seeing the love she held for him in her eyes.
"Of course I would have told her!" he shot back heatedly, wondering why Legolas was being so defensive of her. Did the prince have feelings for her as well? The stray thought kindled a small flame of jealousy within him, and he found himself wondering why he felt that way. There was no way he could have feelings for her! It was impossible!
A memory flashed through his mind of when they were in Henneth Annun and she had awoken from her nightmare, looking so scared, and he remembered the way her body had trembled when he had held her in his arms. He shook his head to clear it of such traitorous thoughts. What was wrong with him to think of someone else like this?
"Then why have you not told her already?" Legolas demanded, seeing Aragorn's inner struggle and realizing for himself why he hadn't told her. The ranger had feelings for her as well but couldn't admit it to himself because of his love for Arwen, and this revelation made things even more complicated than they already were. But then again, matters were never simple when it came to human hearts.
Aragorn sighed again, but this time in defeat as he gave in to his emotions in hopes of better sorting them out. "I have asked myself that same question over and over again, yet come up with no answers but only more questions."
The elven prince laid his hand on the ranger's shoulder. "I think it would do you both well to speak with one another about your feelings. Maybe that will help you both find a way to work this out with one another."
Heeding his words, Aragorn followed the direction in which Rhiannon had went, her lingering scent telling him the path she had taken which led outside. He hoped that she hadn't taken it upon herself to leave, and he looked around for her until he saw her crouched down on the bridge that spanned across the Forest River. Or rather she was sitting down, as he noticed the closer he came to her, with her arms wrapped around her knees which were pulled up against her chest.
She was such a beautiful sight sitting there with the silvery moonlight bathing her and the area around her, the breeze playing throughout her hair and teasing it around her shoulders so that it fell in a dark curtain around her. He stepped quietly towards her, but he knew she heard him since her hearing was as keen as his was, and when she looked up at him he saw the silvery tracks of tears tracing her pale cheeks, causing his own heart to tighten painfully within his chest.
Rhiannon saw the sadness in his eyes, and she turned her gaze away from him, not wanting to look at him and feel the sharp stab of pain in her heart. She still couldn't believe that he was betrothed to another and yet had said nothing to her about it, not even after all they had been through together. She kept asking herself why he hadn't told her, but could come up with nothing.
And now she felt such a fool for nearly throwing herself at him when they were in Henneth Annun, especially after knowing what she knew now. However, despite the pain, she couldn't help but feel that there was an undeniable attraction between them, something which defied all reason and explanation except for that it was there and it was very real.
She felt a light touch at her shoulder and pulled away. "Please don't, Aragorn," she whispered, her voice thick with tears.
Her rejection hurt, but he wasn't about to give up. "Rhiannon, I'm sorry," he told her softly. "I should have told you a long time ago that I was promised to another. And I wish that I had an answer for you as to why I didn't, but I don't. I'm just as confused as you are," he admitted.
His words surprised her, and she turned towards him to see him crouched down beside her, their eyes meeting and holding each other's gaze. He took her hands in his and pulled her to her feet as he straightened himself up, bringing his hand up to wipe the tears from her face with gentle fingers. "During our journey, I fought the fact that I grew to care for you more each day, all because I was betrothed to another whom I love very much. But I still couldn't understand why I had these feelings for you that I felt deep within me, and I still don't."
She fought hard against the hope that rose within her for she knew that it would only cause her more pain in the end. "Who says that they need to be understood?" she asked softly, her voice carrying to him on a wispy breeze. "Who knows where these feelings and emotions come from or why they're there? Isn't it enough to know that it's what you feel, and that it is real and undeniable? Although sometimes our emotions are like the very wind, strong at times and weak at others." Then she smiled a small, sad smile. "But I don't sense that about you, Aragorn. Your love for Arwen is strong, and to betray that would be the worst kind of mistake you could ever make," she added, more to convince herself than him since she refused to give into him.
Oh, but how she wanted to....
He heard her words and knew them to be true, but one glance into her eyes told a different story, that and the slight trembling of her skin under his hand that told him that she felt the same as he did. And for perhaps the first time in his life, he wanted to just for once stop thinking and follow what his heart told him to, to experience what he wanted rather than doing what was expected of him.
He had never asked to be Isildur's heir, the lone survivor of a line of kings that had begun with his forefathers long ago. He had never asked for the weight of the responsibility that came with it, and in a way Arwen reminded him of that responsibility, simply because he was not permitted to wed her until he became the King of Gondor.
Then there was Rhiannon, wild Rhiannon with her earthly beauty that called him as no other human woman had before. She knew nothing of who he was or what his destiny held for him, and yet she had been willing to do whatever it took to share some of his burden. And because of that, he didn't feel so alone in the world anymore, and he had her to thank for that.
He brought his other hand up to cup her face in his hands, his thumbs brushing gently across her lips then her cheeks, the rough skin of his hands feeling not entirely unpleasant to her. "What if it is a mistake I am most willing to make?" he breathed as he lowered his mouth to hers, his breath warm and teasing against her skin....
**************
Oh, Aragorn, why do you have to be betrothed to Arwen?
Next chapter: Will he kiss her, and will she let him? A familiar character arrives and brings forth some distressing news from Gollum that has Rhiannon flying towards Gondor. And Boromir! Woo-hoo!
Thanks for reading! C-ya!
Sorry, I'm still a little sleepy I guess. I tend to get silly when I'm sleepy, so I'll shut up now! Enjoy!
Rhovanion's Child by Shelly
CHAPTER SEVEN
Aragorn noticed Rhiannon's swift departure with more than a passing curiosity, and he excused himself from his conversation with King Thranduil to go have a word with his son, who no doubt knew what was going on judging from the pained expression on his elven features. He pulled the young prince aside to speak with him privately. "Legolas, what is going on? I saw Rhiannon leave and it looked as if she was in a hurry."
The elf sighed heavily as he gazed in the direction that she had gone. "I spoke with her upon a very important matter, Aragorn, one which you have neglected to tell her about. And now her heart bleeds, something which could have been avoided long ago," he added as he brought his gaze back to the ranger's, telling him without words that he was not pleased with him.
Aragorn met his gaze evenly. "I see. You told her about my betrothal to Arwen." Legolas nodded his agreement, earning a frustrated growl from the ranger. "I wish you had let me be the one to tell her," he ground out.
"Would you have told her?" he asked pointedly, unwavering in the face of the other's anger. He had known Rhiannon since she was young and often thought of her as his daughter, which was strange since he looked about the same age as she and yet was so much older. Yet it still sat ill with him to know that Aragorn had not bothered to tell her such an important fact, especially after seeing the love she held for him in her eyes.
"Of course I would have told her!" he shot back heatedly, wondering why Legolas was being so defensive of her. Did the prince have feelings for her as well? The stray thought kindled a small flame of jealousy within him, and he found himself wondering why he felt that way. There was no way he could have feelings for her! It was impossible!
A memory flashed through his mind of when they were in Henneth Annun and she had awoken from her nightmare, looking so scared, and he remembered the way her body had trembled when he had held her in his arms. He shook his head to clear it of such traitorous thoughts. What was wrong with him to think of someone else like this?
"Then why have you not told her already?" Legolas demanded, seeing Aragorn's inner struggle and realizing for himself why he hadn't told her. The ranger had feelings for her as well but couldn't admit it to himself because of his love for Arwen, and this revelation made things even more complicated than they already were. But then again, matters were never simple when it came to human hearts.
Aragorn sighed again, but this time in defeat as he gave in to his emotions in hopes of better sorting them out. "I have asked myself that same question over and over again, yet come up with no answers but only more questions."
The elven prince laid his hand on the ranger's shoulder. "I think it would do you both well to speak with one another about your feelings. Maybe that will help you both find a way to work this out with one another."
Heeding his words, Aragorn followed the direction in which Rhiannon had went, her lingering scent telling him the path she had taken which led outside. He hoped that she hadn't taken it upon herself to leave, and he looked around for her until he saw her crouched down on the bridge that spanned across the Forest River. Or rather she was sitting down, as he noticed the closer he came to her, with her arms wrapped around her knees which were pulled up against her chest.
She was such a beautiful sight sitting there with the silvery moonlight bathing her and the area around her, the breeze playing throughout her hair and teasing it around her shoulders so that it fell in a dark curtain around her. He stepped quietly towards her, but he knew she heard him since her hearing was as keen as his was, and when she looked up at him he saw the silvery tracks of tears tracing her pale cheeks, causing his own heart to tighten painfully within his chest.
Rhiannon saw the sadness in his eyes, and she turned her gaze away from him, not wanting to look at him and feel the sharp stab of pain in her heart. She still couldn't believe that he was betrothed to another and yet had said nothing to her about it, not even after all they had been through together. She kept asking herself why he hadn't told her, but could come up with nothing.
And now she felt such a fool for nearly throwing herself at him when they were in Henneth Annun, especially after knowing what she knew now. However, despite the pain, she couldn't help but feel that there was an undeniable attraction between them, something which defied all reason and explanation except for that it was there and it was very real.
She felt a light touch at her shoulder and pulled away. "Please don't, Aragorn," she whispered, her voice thick with tears.
Her rejection hurt, but he wasn't about to give up. "Rhiannon, I'm sorry," he told her softly. "I should have told you a long time ago that I was promised to another. And I wish that I had an answer for you as to why I didn't, but I don't. I'm just as confused as you are," he admitted.
His words surprised her, and she turned towards him to see him crouched down beside her, their eyes meeting and holding each other's gaze. He took her hands in his and pulled her to her feet as he straightened himself up, bringing his hand up to wipe the tears from her face with gentle fingers. "During our journey, I fought the fact that I grew to care for you more each day, all because I was betrothed to another whom I love very much. But I still couldn't understand why I had these feelings for you that I felt deep within me, and I still don't."
She fought hard against the hope that rose within her for she knew that it would only cause her more pain in the end. "Who says that they need to be understood?" she asked softly, her voice carrying to him on a wispy breeze. "Who knows where these feelings and emotions come from or why they're there? Isn't it enough to know that it's what you feel, and that it is real and undeniable? Although sometimes our emotions are like the very wind, strong at times and weak at others." Then she smiled a small, sad smile. "But I don't sense that about you, Aragorn. Your love for Arwen is strong, and to betray that would be the worst kind of mistake you could ever make," she added, more to convince herself than him since she refused to give into him.
Oh, but how she wanted to....
He heard her words and knew them to be true, but one glance into her eyes told a different story, that and the slight trembling of her skin under his hand that told him that she felt the same as he did. And for perhaps the first time in his life, he wanted to just for once stop thinking and follow what his heart told him to, to experience what he wanted rather than doing what was expected of him.
He had never asked to be Isildur's heir, the lone survivor of a line of kings that had begun with his forefathers long ago. He had never asked for the weight of the responsibility that came with it, and in a way Arwen reminded him of that responsibility, simply because he was not permitted to wed her until he became the King of Gondor.
Then there was Rhiannon, wild Rhiannon with her earthly beauty that called him as no other human woman had before. She knew nothing of who he was or what his destiny held for him, and yet she had been willing to do whatever it took to share some of his burden. And because of that, he didn't feel so alone in the world anymore, and he had her to thank for that.
He brought his other hand up to cup her face in his hands, his thumbs brushing gently across her lips then her cheeks, the rough skin of his hands feeling not entirely unpleasant to her. "What if it is a mistake I am most willing to make?" he breathed as he lowered his mouth to hers, his breath warm and teasing against her skin....
**************
Oh, Aragorn, why do you have to be betrothed to Arwen?
Next chapter: Will he kiss her, and will she let him? A familiar character arrives and brings forth some distressing news from Gollum that has Rhiannon flying towards Gondor. And Boromir! Woo-hoo!
Thanks for reading! C-ya!