Aragorn watched his son sit in quiet contemplation, his chin rested on his
hand, his brow furrowed. In the small, temporary study, Aragorn, Eldarion,
Legolas, Astald, Calen, Faramir and Halbarad sat round the table,
discussing a matter great importance. Hunting.
They had been trying to plan this trip since their arrival, a few days away from the women is what they needed, a good old-fashioned male bonding trip.
"Eldarion?" Aragorn prompted his son to answer his earlier question, feeling sorry for him for needing his wife's permission.
"I will just say to her 'Ithiliwen, I am a man, and I will go as I please.' count me in."
Aragorn cringed at his son's way of handling the situation, he feared for his Kingdom, once he as gone. "Eldarion, she is a woman, she must be sweetened, told how it will kill you to be apart from her for days, but you feel you owe it to your father to spend time with him." Aragorn stood from the table, shaking his head; did his son have no idea about how to handle women?
Faramir smiled at Eldarion knowing, exactly, the feisty temper of the women of Rohan. Eowyn and Ithiliwen were from the same family and both alike in spirit. "Take it from a man that has many more years experience, make her think it is her idea for you to go, act as though you don not really want to."
Aragorn nodded, placing a hand on Faramir's shoulder. "So that is settled then, we set of the day after tomorrow." Aragorn looked over at Legolas, who had not looked up from his hands, resting on the desk, once.
"Legolas, we are all agreed?"
Legolas looked up sheepishly. "Perhaps I will miss this one out, it is not really a good time."
Aragorn couldn't understand it, what was wrong with his friends? Were they all so under their wives control? Well not he, he was the King of Gondor and if need be he would order them to accompany him hunting.
"Its just that Galadwen is with child, and I do not wish to leave her, what if something went wrong?"
Aragorn's eyes narrowed on his old friend. "Legolas, she is well cared for here, she is safe with Arwen, and besides do you really think you will have anytime to hunt after my grandson is born?" Even at saying it aloud, both men's hearts swelled with pride.
A look was shared between the two old friends, and the decision was made, they would go hunting the day after tomorrow.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Astald sat at his window, his leg feeling a lot better, waiting for Luthien to speak. Luthien, who was sitting on his bed, sat quietly, not sure what to say. He had told her about his dream, about seeing Arwen surrounded by fire, and was now waiting for her reaction.
"Astald you have not had a dream of foresight now for years, not since you have been with us. I do not think that after all this time you would suddenly start having them again. Sometimes people just have bad dreams, they do not mean anything, your leg was in pain and Naneth had given you a herbal drink to ease the pain, who knows what effect that had on you. I really would not think on it anymore." She stood up and walked over to his chair. She knelt before him and kissed his cheek, making him smile for the first time that day.
"You need to get out of this room. Your leg is healing nicely, perhaps we can sit you out in the courtyard."
He loved her so much, she was the most innocent, beautiful creature he had ever know, he knew he loved her the night they had met, when she sang away his pain.
"Luthien, I will be a good husband, I promise you that."
She smiled warmly and giggled. "You will not be a good husband, you will be a great one." She leant forward and pressed her soft mouth against his. The doubt still niggled the back of his mind, but he pushed it away, enjoying the closeness with his betrothed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Arwen smiled as she watched Aragorn and Faramir look over some large maps. Aragorn, obviously having spent a lot of time in Arnor, knew exactly where everywhere was and really did not need this right now. Faramir, however, was stressing the importance of being prepared. Aragorn turned to give his wife an, exhausted, look, making her laugh and feel sorry for him.
"Arwen, are you hungry? I have brought some food" Eowyn walked up to her friend and set down a plate of bread. She looked proud as she presented the plate to Arwen, her golden hair catching in the wind. Arwen smiled as Eowyn came before her, she had enjoyed the food here so far, the lord's cook was most wonderful at baking.
Arwen picked up a small piece of the bread and looked over Eowyn's shoulder at her husband and Faramir, who having heard the word "food" had dropped what they were doing, and were know walking back to the women. They stopped dead, however, when Eowyn said. "I made them myself."
Arwen noticed the men stop and she looked at them confused. Simultaneously, both men started shaking their heads, eyes wide in fear, trying to warn Arwen not to eat it. She rolled her eyes, assuming they were playing and bit in to the hard bread. Aragorn looked at his wife as if she was about to die, remembering the horror of tasting that woman's cooking all those years ago. Faramir watched Arwen and silently thanked his position in Gondor, and his ability to have a permanent cook live with them.
Eowyn watched Arwen in anticipation, waiting for her to swallow and speak. At first Arwen thought that her tooth may break off, then as she began to chew her jaw started to ache, what was this thing made off? When, finally, she swallowed, she chocked quite violently. Aragorn ran to her side and started rubbing her back, whispering. "I tried to warn you."
Eowyn looked extremely worried and hurt, so when Arwen finished coughing she smiled at the white lady. "Mmm, that was delicious Eowyn. Thank you."
Eowyn broke out in to a huge smile and walked over to her husband. "Faramir? I know that it is your favorite."
He smiled and scooped her in to his arms, hoping to distract her from her attempts to poison him.
"Faramir!" She laughed smacking him on the arm. He took the plate from her and went to put it back down on the table. "I need to work up an appetite first, let us go for a walk."
He settled down the plate and in a low voice, that only the King and Queen could hear, said "Even the dogs will not eat it, we have to hide it at home."
Aragorn and Arwen smiled, trying to hide their laughs, at the couple as they left them. Aragorn turned to Arwen and gently ran the back of his hand down her side. "It is nearly time to eat."
She caught the mischievous gleam in his eye, but wasn't sure what it meant.
"I think perhaps we should work up an appetite also." He treated her to a boyish grin, making her melt, and took her hand in his. They held one another's eyes as he led her back up to their chambers.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
That night the royal family and their friends, sat with Halbarad, Calen and his father for dinner in the great hall. Luthien was trying to keep Astald's foot up in a chair, Eowyn was questioning Faramir about why he had never eaten the rolls she had made and Silmai and her only niece were arguing over the last piece of cornbread.
Maranwe looked around the table and smiled. She had missed the loud dinners and hearty meals when she was in Imladris. After the whole situation, there she was already feeling better just being here with her friends. Turning to her left to look at Arwen, they quickly arranged to speak after dinner. Maranwe had told herself that she was not going to free any guilt by not saying anything to Arwen. She had to tell her that Elladan was "in love" with her.
The chatter and friendly banter in the hall quickly stopped as someone stepped through the door. Maranwe felt her stomach drop and all her breath leave her as she saw who stood in the doorway.
"Elladan-" she murmured. Maybe Arwen was going to find out sooner than she believed.
Galadwen quickly darted her eyes to Maranwe, to Elladan and then to her husband pleading silently but desperately to do something. She knew that Maranwe was not ready to tell Arwen yet, let alone the entire royal family and friends.
"Elladan, how wonderful to see you!" Arwen spoke happily, standing from her seat to rush into her elder brothers arms. Pulling back to look him in the eye she spoke, "It has been far too long."
The tall brown haired elf smiled at his sister, "It has, Elrohir and I have missed you very much. Imladris is not the same without you."
Arwen looked up at him questionably, "Did Elrohir come with you?"
He shook his head and looked over Arwen's shoulder to a very red Maranwe, "I have come to-"
"Help me with some matters in Ithilien!" Legolas spoke quickly. Rushing forward quickly to stop Elladan from saying too much he said, "I wrote to Elladan some time ago for his expert advice to help me reconstruct the blueprints for the run-down parts of the city." Elladan gave his blonde- haired friend a questioning look that was rewarded with a swift elbow to the side, unknown to the rest of the company.
Elladan nodded naively, wondering what in the world was going on. But he did not want to take his chances with this blonde elf. "Unfortunately Elrohir was not able to come. He was tided up in other matters."
From his sitting spot at the table Aragorn noticed the odd behavior of his foster-brother and his life-long friend, now son-in-law. Something was not right. Glancing over to his left he saw that Maranwe was also not her usual self, her normally healthy colored shin was now bright red, whether it was from fury or embarrassment he did not know. He would have to talk to those three later.
Legolas quickly excused Elladan and himself to go to the library to "work on the blueprints". As soon as they were threw the heavy doors Legolas grabbed Elladan by the shoulders and pinned him against the wall, "What do you think you are doing here?" he asked harshly.
Elladan eyed his friend nervously, "Legolas, what has gotten into you?"
"Maranwe left Imladris for a reason. To think things through! You are not improving her situation anymore by showing up here to try and woe her again!"
"But what was with the huge blueprints issue in the dining hall?" Elladan asked, bewildered by Legolas's odd behavior.
"She hasn't told anyone yet you thick headed warg! The only ones that know about your confession to her are you, Maranwe, Galadwen and myself." His frustration was beginning to get the better of him, "Why are you here?" he asked again, loosening his hold on the twin.
"Maranwe left without believing my love was true, I followed her to try and prove that to her. That is all I swear!" Elladan took a deep breath before speaking again. "Legolas, you believe that this is not all a joke right? I love her." He spoke quietly.
Legolas nodded, "I know you do. But its all too fast for Maranwe, she doesn't know what to believe. She is too afraid that Arwen will be upset, she has not told her yet and I don't know if she means to. "
"Legolas," Elladan spoke, seeing that he was doubtful in some ways, "I do love Maranwe. And I came here to prove that to her. I even wrote poetry!" he said with a laugh.
Legolas raised an eyebrow, "You didn't steal Elrohir's? Or make him write it for you?"
"No! In addition, it is terrible! I cannot write it to save my life! But Legolas, " he spoke, placing his hand on his shoulder, "That's' how much I care about her, that I will read her my stupid poem and feel like a complete idiot! As long as it puts a smile on her face."
Legolas smiled and Elladan's thoughtful words. Perhaps there was some hope for those two after all.
They had been trying to plan this trip since their arrival, a few days away from the women is what they needed, a good old-fashioned male bonding trip.
"Eldarion?" Aragorn prompted his son to answer his earlier question, feeling sorry for him for needing his wife's permission.
"I will just say to her 'Ithiliwen, I am a man, and I will go as I please.' count me in."
Aragorn cringed at his son's way of handling the situation, he feared for his Kingdom, once he as gone. "Eldarion, she is a woman, she must be sweetened, told how it will kill you to be apart from her for days, but you feel you owe it to your father to spend time with him." Aragorn stood from the table, shaking his head; did his son have no idea about how to handle women?
Faramir smiled at Eldarion knowing, exactly, the feisty temper of the women of Rohan. Eowyn and Ithiliwen were from the same family and both alike in spirit. "Take it from a man that has many more years experience, make her think it is her idea for you to go, act as though you don not really want to."
Aragorn nodded, placing a hand on Faramir's shoulder. "So that is settled then, we set of the day after tomorrow." Aragorn looked over at Legolas, who had not looked up from his hands, resting on the desk, once.
"Legolas, we are all agreed?"
Legolas looked up sheepishly. "Perhaps I will miss this one out, it is not really a good time."
Aragorn couldn't understand it, what was wrong with his friends? Were they all so under their wives control? Well not he, he was the King of Gondor and if need be he would order them to accompany him hunting.
"Its just that Galadwen is with child, and I do not wish to leave her, what if something went wrong?"
Aragorn's eyes narrowed on his old friend. "Legolas, she is well cared for here, she is safe with Arwen, and besides do you really think you will have anytime to hunt after my grandson is born?" Even at saying it aloud, both men's hearts swelled with pride.
A look was shared between the two old friends, and the decision was made, they would go hunting the day after tomorrow.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Astald sat at his window, his leg feeling a lot better, waiting for Luthien to speak. Luthien, who was sitting on his bed, sat quietly, not sure what to say. He had told her about his dream, about seeing Arwen surrounded by fire, and was now waiting for her reaction.
"Astald you have not had a dream of foresight now for years, not since you have been with us. I do not think that after all this time you would suddenly start having them again. Sometimes people just have bad dreams, they do not mean anything, your leg was in pain and Naneth had given you a herbal drink to ease the pain, who knows what effect that had on you. I really would not think on it anymore." She stood up and walked over to his chair. She knelt before him and kissed his cheek, making him smile for the first time that day.
"You need to get out of this room. Your leg is healing nicely, perhaps we can sit you out in the courtyard."
He loved her so much, she was the most innocent, beautiful creature he had ever know, he knew he loved her the night they had met, when she sang away his pain.
"Luthien, I will be a good husband, I promise you that."
She smiled warmly and giggled. "You will not be a good husband, you will be a great one." She leant forward and pressed her soft mouth against his. The doubt still niggled the back of his mind, but he pushed it away, enjoying the closeness with his betrothed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Arwen smiled as she watched Aragorn and Faramir look over some large maps. Aragorn, obviously having spent a lot of time in Arnor, knew exactly where everywhere was and really did not need this right now. Faramir, however, was stressing the importance of being prepared. Aragorn turned to give his wife an, exhausted, look, making her laugh and feel sorry for him.
"Arwen, are you hungry? I have brought some food" Eowyn walked up to her friend and set down a plate of bread. She looked proud as she presented the plate to Arwen, her golden hair catching in the wind. Arwen smiled as Eowyn came before her, she had enjoyed the food here so far, the lord's cook was most wonderful at baking.
Arwen picked up a small piece of the bread and looked over Eowyn's shoulder at her husband and Faramir, who having heard the word "food" had dropped what they were doing, and were know walking back to the women. They stopped dead, however, when Eowyn said. "I made them myself."
Arwen noticed the men stop and she looked at them confused. Simultaneously, both men started shaking their heads, eyes wide in fear, trying to warn Arwen not to eat it. She rolled her eyes, assuming they were playing and bit in to the hard bread. Aragorn looked at his wife as if she was about to die, remembering the horror of tasting that woman's cooking all those years ago. Faramir watched Arwen and silently thanked his position in Gondor, and his ability to have a permanent cook live with them.
Eowyn watched Arwen in anticipation, waiting for her to swallow and speak. At first Arwen thought that her tooth may break off, then as she began to chew her jaw started to ache, what was this thing made off? When, finally, she swallowed, she chocked quite violently. Aragorn ran to her side and started rubbing her back, whispering. "I tried to warn you."
Eowyn looked extremely worried and hurt, so when Arwen finished coughing she smiled at the white lady. "Mmm, that was delicious Eowyn. Thank you."
Eowyn broke out in to a huge smile and walked over to her husband. "Faramir? I know that it is your favorite."
He smiled and scooped her in to his arms, hoping to distract her from her attempts to poison him.
"Faramir!" She laughed smacking him on the arm. He took the plate from her and went to put it back down on the table. "I need to work up an appetite first, let us go for a walk."
He settled down the plate and in a low voice, that only the King and Queen could hear, said "Even the dogs will not eat it, we have to hide it at home."
Aragorn and Arwen smiled, trying to hide their laughs, at the couple as they left them. Aragorn turned to Arwen and gently ran the back of his hand down her side. "It is nearly time to eat."
She caught the mischievous gleam in his eye, but wasn't sure what it meant.
"I think perhaps we should work up an appetite also." He treated her to a boyish grin, making her melt, and took her hand in his. They held one another's eyes as he led her back up to their chambers.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
That night the royal family and their friends, sat with Halbarad, Calen and his father for dinner in the great hall. Luthien was trying to keep Astald's foot up in a chair, Eowyn was questioning Faramir about why he had never eaten the rolls she had made and Silmai and her only niece were arguing over the last piece of cornbread.
Maranwe looked around the table and smiled. She had missed the loud dinners and hearty meals when she was in Imladris. After the whole situation, there she was already feeling better just being here with her friends. Turning to her left to look at Arwen, they quickly arranged to speak after dinner. Maranwe had told herself that she was not going to free any guilt by not saying anything to Arwen. She had to tell her that Elladan was "in love" with her.
The chatter and friendly banter in the hall quickly stopped as someone stepped through the door. Maranwe felt her stomach drop and all her breath leave her as she saw who stood in the doorway.
"Elladan-" she murmured. Maybe Arwen was going to find out sooner than she believed.
Galadwen quickly darted her eyes to Maranwe, to Elladan and then to her husband pleading silently but desperately to do something. She knew that Maranwe was not ready to tell Arwen yet, let alone the entire royal family and friends.
"Elladan, how wonderful to see you!" Arwen spoke happily, standing from her seat to rush into her elder brothers arms. Pulling back to look him in the eye she spoke, "It has been far too long."
The tall brown haired elf smiled at his sister, "It has, Elrohir and I have missed you very much. Imladris is not the same without you."
Arwen looked up at him questionably, "Did Elrohir come with you?"
He shook his head and looked over Arwen's shoulder to a very red Maranwe, "I have come to-"
"Help me with some matters in Ithilien!" Legolas spoke quickly. Rushing forward quickly to stop Elladan from saying too much he said, "I wrote to Elladan some time ago for his expert advice to help me reconstruct the blueprints for the run-down parts of the city." Elladan gave his blonde- haired friend a questioning look that was rewarded with a swift elbow to the side, unknown to the rest of the company.
Elladan nodded naively, wondering what in the world was going on. But he did not want to take his chances with this blonde elf. "Unfortunately Elrohir was not able to come. He was tided up in other matters."
From his sitting spot at the table Aragorn noticed the odd behavior of his foster-brother and his life-long friend, now son-in-law. Something was not right. Glancing over to his left he saw that Maranwe was also not her usual self, her normally healthy colored shin was now bright red, whether it was from fury or embarrassment he did not know. He would have to talk to those three later.
Legolas quickly excused Elladan and himself to go to the library to "work on the blueprints". As soon as they were threw the heavy doors Legolas grabbed Elladan by the shoulders and pinned him against the wall, "What do you think you are doing here?" he asked harshly.
Elladan eyed his friend nervously, "Legolas, what has gotten into you?"
"Maranwe left Imladris for a reason. To think things through! You are not improving her situation anymore by showing up here to try and woe her again!"
"But what was with the huge blueprints issue in the dining hall?" Elladan asked, bewildered by Legolas's odd behavior.
"She hasn't told anyone yet you thick headed warg! The only ones that know about your confession to her are you, Maranwe, Galadwen and myself." His frustration was beginning to get the better of him, "Why are you here?" he asked again, loosening his hold on the twin.
"Maranwe left without believing my love was true, I followed her to try and prove that to her. That is all I swear!" Elladan took a deep breath before speaking again. "Legolas, you believe that this is not all a joke right? I love her." He spoke quietly.
Legolas nodded, "I know you do. But its all too fast for Maranwe, she doesn't know what to believe. She is too afraid that Arwen will be upset, she has not told her yet and I don't know if she means to. "
"Legolas," Elladan spoke, seeing that he was doubtful in some ways, "I do love Maranwe. And I came here to prove that to her. I even wrote poetry!" he said with a laugh.
Legolas raised an eyebrow, "You didn't steal Elrohir's? Or make him write it for you?"
"No! In addition, it is terrible! I cannot write it to save my life! But Legolas, " he spoke, placing his hand on his shoulder, "That's' how much I care about her, that I will read her my stupid poem and feel like a complete idiot! As long as it puts a smile on her face."
Legolas smiled and Elladan's thoughtful words. Perhaps there was some hope for those two after all.