Chapter Two
Aragorn was not quite sure where he was headed but never the less continued to walk along the seemingly endless cold stone corridor. His thoughts for once were completely empty, his body calm and relaxed.
The arm the grabbed hold of him from behind no longer startled him. He had lived through this many times before. Turning he was greeted as always by the stunning smile of his blond, elven lover.
"Legolas." He whispered for some strange reason his voice sounding surprised, before pulling his partner into a tight, unyielding embrace. "I have missed you."
"And I you."
Aragorn pulled back for a moment to cast his eyes across the perfect creature in front of him, and smiled at his lover's apparent annoyance at being let go. Shaking his head slightly in amusement, Aragorn pressed himself once again against his elf and this time placed an arm around the dedicate neck, pulling his elf into a deep and needy kiss.
The hunger and desperation grew as the contact continued. Aragorn traced his tongue across the seam of Legolas's lips before the elf allowed him entrance to his mouth. The man delved deeper trying to get as close to his elf as possible.
It wasn't until one of Aragon's hands began caressing suggestively at Legolas's hip that the elf pulled back from their kiss.
"Not here." He groaned. "Not in the corridor someone may see."
"I do not care." Aragorn growled to caught up in his emotions to think about anything else clearly.
"Yes you do." Legolas stepped back in order to escape Aragorn's wandering hands. "You know if we get caught I will be forced to leave. It will not look good for a king to be seen in a public hallway with his supposedly secret lover."
Aragorn groaned again, what Legolas was saying made sense but it had been so long since he had seen, let alone touched his elf. He had known at the beginning of their love affair that their meetings would be infrequent due to his lover's need of adventure but it was still, after all these years difficult to handle.
"Come let us locate my chambers." Legolas whispered, taking hold of his hand and pulling him away down the corridor.
"But I can not wait." Aragorn called out, suddenly stopping and with a bust of strength he pulled Legolas back into his arms, sealing their lips together once again.
Hearing the whimper that escaped his elf's throat he knew he had won this battle. Forcing Legolas against the cold stone wall of the hallway he pressed his body as close as possible against him.
Reaching for the clasps of Legolas's dark green tunic, with practiced ease he undid them and then hurriedly parted the soft material in search of pale skin.
Hearing Legolas gasp, Aragorn began to explore further, trailing his hand down across his chest and abdomen until he reached the top of the elf's leggings.
"S...Stop,... Aragorn!" Legolas groaned, finally managing to push his over excited lover away from him.
Both were panting, and faces were flushed.
"The bed chamber, please Aragorn not here."
He merely nodded, moving to the nearest empty guest chambers a few doors away. Looking back Legolas had not yet moved he lay against the wall watching Aragorn every movement.
"Are you coming or have you changed your mind?" He asked.
Legolas grinned.
"Never my King where ever you go I shall follow."
Legolas walked quickly and upon entering the large room the door was quickly closed and bolted.
Both once again found themselves in each others arms and landed not so gracefully on the large, well cushioned bed.
"Stay with me." Aragorn gasped as Legolas moved seductively against him. He had asked this question many times before and knew the answer well but he could not help but to hope that one day the answer would change.
"You know that I can not." Legolas whispered regretfully. "It is Arwen's place by your side not mine no matter how much we both wish it were different."
~*~
Aragorn sat up suddenly although he desperately wanted to return to the dream he knew he could not. He had not had this dream for many years and wondered why it had chosen to resurface now. It had been a memory once, it had taken place just a few days before Legolas had told him the he carried his child, but now it had become nothing more than a nightmare reminding him of what life was like before he let his lover go.
For months after his lover's death this dream had hunted him, teasing him with his own memories of what had and could have been still. If only he had insisted Legolas stay with him until the birth then maybe he would still live.
He had lost everything he had held dear that day and would never forgive himself for his lover's demise.
His sad eyes searched in the darkness of his bed chamber, but as he suspected he was alone. Arwen, the female that had once claimed to love him now hardly ever shared his bed. He suspected that she had grown weary of his company over the years following Legolas's death. He no longer laughed or made any attempt to pretend to enjoy life except when in the company of the three children Arwen had bore him. But even with them his thoughts often wondered back to the child of his that had never had the chance to live.
~*~
Aranel pulled her dark cloak tighter around her neck, relying on its hood to conceal her elven features. Gimli had often warned her of men's distrust of all creatures different from their own and did not want to cause a disturbance as she entered the city of Minas Tirith. It had taken sometime for her to travel the distance from the southern edge of Fangorn forest to the major city of Gondor alone.
She had chosen to start her search here rather than venturing to the Greenwood because she was in need of more information and believing that if her human father was a man of great influence over his own kind then he would no doubt reside with in the great city of Gondor.
She walked slowly, close to the buildings on either side of the stone walk way in order to reduce any suspicions she may arise.
In all honesty she had no thought as to where she would begin her search. There were many men of great influence and the name she had been given, Strider, was obviously a name given out of friendship rather than a name used by common acquaintances.
But first she needed somewhere to stay. Looking down in to the small pouch attached to her belt that Gimli had given to her, the money was running low. She needed to find someway of raising her funds.
Further along the path she caught sight of a middle-aged woman, dressed reasonably well for a human although an apron was tied tightly around her waist, shouting at a young boy he could not have been older than 15.
"Out now!" She yelled throwing a leather sack after him. "That is the last time you steal anything from my kitchens!"
The boy managed to grasp the bag before running off down the walk way, carefully avoiding passers by.
The woman shook her head, and glanced up meeting Aranel's grey eyes. "Children." She sighed. "He was so desperate for work then he goes and does a thing like that."
"Some do not know how lucky they are." She answered in her heart agreeing with the older women.
"Well now he leaves me with out a cleaner." She smiled a goodbye and began moving back towards the large dwelling behind her.
"Wait." Aranel called out. "Please wait."
The woman stopped and turned back looking at her expectantly.
"I know you do not know me for I am a stranger to these parts, but I am in search of work and would willing clean for you in return of a small fee and a place to sleep."
The woman looked at her suspiciously for a moment. "How long will you be wanting the work for?"
"I am unsure, a month or two maybe."
"Aye," She seemed to consider her options. "And in that time I will be able to find some one more permanent."
Aranel waited patiently and in silence for her answer.
"Come on then you start by helping me carry the bread up to the palace." She said before beckoning to Aranel to follow her back into the large dwelling. "Do you have a name?"
"Aranel."
"Aranel, that's not a common name, what does it mean?" She pushed open the heavy wooden door, holding it open so that Aranel could step in to the building.
"Umm..., I am not certain." She lied, attempting to hide as much of her lineage as possible. "I believe it is just a name that my father liked."
"He must have believed you special to grant you a name so beautiful."
"Aye," She whispered, placing her leather sack on to the floor beside a large table that stood in the middle of what looked like a sparsely equipped kitchen. "It was one of his only gifts to me."
The woman glanced across at her before shutting the door firmly, sympathy clearly visible in her eyes but said nothing more on the subject fearing she was delving to deep, family was not something openly discussed among the poorer subjects of the white city.
"The name is Gwendaline, but most call me Gwen, Gwendaline is far too pretty sounding for some one like me." She smiled kindly. "Now tidy yourself up a bit and help me carry those." Gwen pointed at two large baking trays covered in freshly braked loaves of bread and an assortment of rolls. "There is a wash basin through there if you need to use it." She nodded her head towards a large partition. "We can't have you looking a mess in case we happen to be greeted by one of the royals."
Aranel panicked though not at the thought of meeting royalty but because she realised that she would have to remove he hood and cloak, he long golden hair would surely give away that she was not all human.
Thinking quickly she blurted out. "Yes I will thank you."
She hurriedly picked up her bag and made her way behind the dividing wall, ignoring the look of surprise she knew was on Gwen's face.
Once safely out of sight she removed her hood and stared at her image reflected back at her by a small piece of polished metal that hung against the wall obviously used instead of a mirror.
Her hair was slightly scruffy due to its prolonged trapped state in the woollen cloak but still to perfect to be that of a human working as a kitchen maid. Bending down she reached carefully into her sack and pulled out her small hip dagger. Stroking her fingers gently over the elvish inscription across the gold hilt she pulled it free from its leather scabbard. This was the only object she owned that had belonged to her parents. Gimli had given it to her when she had turned fourteen. He had told her that it had once been a gift from her human father to her elven father in an attempt to keep him safe.
She looked at it in appreciation for just a moment before drawing it up with one hand and grasping her long golden hair with the other.
The blade was sharp and cut cleanly through the soft strands. Each bundle that she cut Aranel quickly placed within a small pocket on the inside of her bag, it would look strange to leave it somewhere that another would find it, and maybe it would come in use she had heard that human women often cut their hair and sold it when times were rough.
Finally it was done. She felt almost ashamed to look up at herself in the mirror. What would Gimli have thought of her now? No, she scowled herself he would be proud that she had made it this far and that she had the determination to continue this to the end.
She would not be defeated so easily. ~*~
TBC...
Please R&R
Aragorn was not quite sure where he was headed but never the less continued to walk along the seemingly endless cold stone corridor. His thoughts for once were completely empty, his body calm and relaxed.
The arm the grabbed hold of him from behind no longer startled him. He had lived through this many times before. Turning he was greeted as always by the stunning smile of his blond, elven lover.
"Legolas." He whispered for some strange reason his voice sounding surprised, before pulling his partner into a tight, unyielding embrace. "I have missed you."
"And I you."
Aragorn pulled back for a moment to cast his eyes across the perfect creature in front of him, and smiled at his lover's apparent annoyance at being let go. Shaking his head slightly in amusement, Aragorn pressed himself once again against his elf and this time placed an arm around the dedicate neck, pulling his elf into a deep and needy kiss.
The hunger and desperation grew as the contact continued. Aragorn traced his tongue across the seam of Legolas's lips before the elf allowed him entrance to his mouth. The man delved deeper trying to get as close to his elf as possible.
It wasn't until one of Aragon's hands began caressing suggestively at Legolas's hip that the elf pulled back from their kiss.
"Not here." He groaned. "Not in the corridor someone may see."
"I do not care." Aragorn growled to caught up in his emotions to think about anything else clearly.
"Yes you do." Legolas stepped back in order to escape Aragorn's wandering hands. "You know if we get caught I will be forced to leave. It will not look good for a king to be seen in a public hallway with his supposedly secret lover."
Aragorn groaned again, what Legolas was saying made sense but it had been so long since he had seen, let alone touched his elf. He had known at the beginning of their love affair that their meetings would be infrequent due to his lover's need of adventure but it was still, after all these years difficult to handle.
"Come let us locate my chambers." Legolas whispered, taking hold of his hand and pulling him away down the corridor.
"But I can not wait." Aragorn called out, suddenly stopping and with a bust of strength he pulled Legolas back into his arms, sealing their lips together once again.
Hearing the whimper that escaped his elf's throat he knew he had won this battle. Forcing Legolas against the cold stone wall of the hallway he pressed his body as close as possible against him.
Reaching for the clasps of Legolas's dark green tunic, with practiced ease he undid them and then hurriedly parted the soft material in search of pale skin.
Hearing Legolas gasp, Aragorn began to explore further, trailing his hand down across his chest and abdomen until he reached the top of the elf's leggings.
"S...Stop,... Aragorn!" Legolas groaned, finally managing to push his over excited lover away from him.
Both were panting, and faces were flushed.
"The bed chamber, please Aragorn not here."
He merely nodded, moving to the nearest empty guest chambers a few doors away. Looking back Legolas had not yet moved he lay against the wall watching Aragorn every movement.
"Are you coming or have you changed your mind?" He asked.
Legolas grinned.
"Never my King where ever you go I shall follow."
Legolas walked quickly and upon entering the large room the door was quickly closed and bolted.
Both once again found themselves in each others arms and landed not so gracefully on the large, well cushioned bed.
"Stay with me." Aragorn gasped as Legolas moved seductively against him. He had asked this question many times before and knew the answer well but he could not help but to hope that one day the answer would change.
"You know that I can not." Legolas whispered regretfully. "It is Arwen's place by your side not mine no matter how much we both wish it were different."
~*~
Aragorn sat up suddenly although he desperately wanted to return to the dream he knew he could not. He had not had this dream for many years and wondered why it had chosen to resurface now. It had been a memory once, it had taken place just a few days before Legolas had told him the he carried his child, but now it had become nothing more than a nightmare reminding him of what life was like before he let his lover go.
For months after his lover's death this dream had hunted him, teasing him with his own memories of what had and could have been still. If only he had insisted Legolas stay with him until the birth then maybe he would still live.
He had lost everything he had held dear that day and would never forgive himself for his lover's demise.
His sad eyes searched in the darkness of his bed chamber, but as he suspected he was alone. Arwen, the female that had once claimed to love him now hardly ever shared his bed. He suspected that she had grown weary of his company over the years following Legolas's death. He no longer laughed or made any attempt to pretend to enjoy life except when in the company of the three children Arwen had bore him. But even with them his thoughts often wondered back to the child of his that had never had the chance to live.
~*~
Aranel pulled her dark cloak tighter around her neck, relying on its hood to conceal her elven features. Gimli had often warned her of men's distrust of all creatures different from their own and did not want to cause a disturbance as she entered the city of Minas Tirith. It had taken sometime for her to travel the distance from the southern edge of Fangorn forest to the major city of Gondor alone.
She had chosen to start her search here rather than venturing to the Greenwood because she was in need of more information and believing that if her human father was a man of great influence over his own kind then he would no doubt reside with in the great city of Gondor.
She walked slowly, close to the buildings on either side of the stone walk way in order to reduce any suspicions she may arise.
In all honesty she had no thought as to where she would begin her search. There were many men of great influence and the name she had been given, Strider, was obviously a name given out of friendship rather than a name used by common acquaintances.
But first she needed somewhere to stay. Looking down in to the small pouch attached to her belt that Gimli had given to her, the money was running low. She needed to find someway of raising her funds.
Further along the path she caught sight of a middle-aged woman, dressed reasonably well for a human although an apron was tied tightly around her waist, shouting at a young boy he could not have been older than 15.
"Out now!" She yelled throwing a leather sack after him. "That is the last time you steal anything from my kitchens!"
The boy managed to grasp the bag before running off down the walk way, carefully avoiding passers by.
The woman shook her head, and glanced up meeting Aranel's grey eyes. "Children." She sighed. "He was so desperate for work then he goes and does a thing like that."
"Some do not know how lucky they are." She answered in her heart agreeing with the older women.
"Well now he leaves me with out a cleaner." She smiled a goodbye and began moving back towards the large dwelling behind her.
"Wait." Aranel called out. "Please wait."
The woman stopped and turned back looking at her expectantly.
"I know you do not know me for I am a stranger to these parts, but I am in search of work and would willing clean for you in return of a small fee and a place to sleep."
The woman looked at her suspiciously for a moment. "How long will you be wanting the work for?"
"I am unsure, a month or two maybe."
"Aye," She seemed to consider her options. "And in that time I will be able to find some one more permanent."
Aranel waited patiently and in silence for her answer.
"Come on then you start by helping me carry the bread up to the palace." She said before beckoning to Aranel to follow her back into the large dwelling. "Do you have a name?"
"Aranel."
"Aranel, that's not a common name, what does it mean?" She pushed open the heavy wooden door, holding it open so that Aranel could step in to the building.
"Umm..., I am not certain." She lied, attempting to hide as much of her lineage as possible. "I believe it is just a name that my father liked."
"He must have believed you special to grant you a name so beautiful."
"Aye," She whispered, placing her leather sack on to the floor beside a large table that stood in the middle of what looked like a sparsely equipped kitchen. "It was one of his only gifts to me."
The woman glanced across at her before shutting the door firmly, sympathy clearly visible in her eyes but said nothing more on the subject fearing she was delving to deep, family was not something openly discussed among the poorer subjects of the white city.
"The name is Gwendaline, but most call me Gwen, Gwendaline is far too pretty sounding for some one like me." She smiled kindly. "Now tidy yourself up a bit and help me carry those." Gwen pointed at two large baking trays covered in freshly braked loaves of bread and an assortment of rolls. "There is a wash basin through there if you need to use it." She nodded her head towards a large partition. "We can't have you looking a mess in case we happen to be greeted by one of the royals."
Aranel panicked though not at the thought of meeting royalty but because she realised that she would have to remove he hood and cloak, he long golden hair would surely give away that she was not all human.
Thinking quickly she blurted out. "Yes I will thank you."
She hurriedly picked up her bag and made her way behind the dividing wall, ignoring the look of surprise she knew was on Gwen's face.
Once safely out of sight she removed her hood and stared at her image reflected back at her by a small piece of polished metal that hung against the wall obviously used instead of a mirror.
Her hair was slightly scruffy due to its prolonged trapped state in the woollen cloak but still to perfect to be that of a human working as a kitchen maid. Bending down she reached carefully into her sack and pulled out her small hip dagger. Stroking her fingers gently over the elvish inscription across the gold hilt she pulled it free from its leather scabbard. This was the only object she owned that had belonged to her parents. Gimli had given it to her when she had turned fourteen. He had told her that it had once been a gift from her human father to her elven father in an attempt to keep him safe.
She looked at it in appreciation for just a moment before drawing it up with one hand and grasping her long golden hair with the other.
The blade was sharp and cut cleanly through the soft strands. Each bundle that she cut Aranel quickly placed within a small pocket on the inside of her bag, it would look strange to leave it somewhere that another would find it, and maybe it would come in use she had heard that human women often cut their hair and sold it when times were rough.
Finally it was done. She felt almost ashamed to look up at herself in the mirror. What would Gimli have thought of her now? No, she scowled herself he would be proud that she had made it this far and that she had the determination to continue this to the end.
She would not be defeated so easily. ~*~
TBC...
Please R&R