Hiya everyone - as usual my thanks to all reviewers who shared their thoughts with me, it's very encouraging. :-)
Chapter 6
Legolas returned to the Royal bedchambers quickly wanting to get in and avoid Aragorn for as long as possible. He was therefore relieved when he arrived back and was met only by Celdarion who was watching over Elessarion. The elder elf carefully watched his ward taking in the stiff posture.
"Little one, Aragorn has..." he began but was cut off by the young prince.
"Do not fear Celdarion. All will be well," he said trying to smile reassuringly.
Celdarion nodded warily, not sure how things would be well until his charge and the young king talked properly. "That is good my prince. Your husband asked me to tell you he had been called away to a meeting, and probably would be unavailable until dinner this evening. He will return here to escort you downstairs."
Legolas nodded distractedly. "Thank you Celdarion. I do not have anything on my schedule for this afternoon, I think I will take Elessarion and sit in the gardens, somewhere secluded I think."
Celdarion's worry increased but he could say nothing as the prince gathered up his son and a few items and left the chamber, the guard following silently behind.
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Aragorn sat in his private study, his uncle Denethor and cousin Boromir were with him as was Lord Fenner, and the head of the Royal Guard Jerin, who had been with them on that morning's hunt. "Have we discovered yet how the orcs got so close, or even why they ventured so close to the city. Were they travelling somewhere?" he asked as they all got comfortable.
Boromir and Jerin shared a look. "We sent scouts deep into the forest to track their previous movements. It does not look as though were travelling somewhere. There is evidence that they had been camped there for at least a sevenight," Jerin explained.
"For what purpose, and why were they not discovered previously?" Aragorn frowned as he queried his people.
"I do not know my lord. Those forests are used primarily for hunting. The game within is usually reserved only for the King's hunting party, most of the common folk wither raise their own livestock or trade for livestock from farmers." The royal guard shrugged apologetically for being unable to offer further information.
"From appearances it would seem they were there to attack any hunting party that ventured into the forest. They were certainly heavily armed enough to conclude they were there with battle in mind. The question is, did they know that the King would be leading the hunting party," Boromir said.
"I think a better question would be how is this connected to the murder attempt on your son my lord," Fenner said, speaking finally. All eyes flew to him and at the king's gesture he continued with his theorising. "Were they engaged by an outside party to enter the forest and lie in wait, and was the King their true target?"
"Who else would they have targeted?" Denethor asked.
"It was a very distinguished hunting party, the choice of targets was numerous, however if this was connected in any way to the poisoning then it would be logical to assume that the Royal family was a target," Fenner explained, his hands steepled under his chin as he continued to work through the facts in his mind.
"Legolas," Aragorn breathed softly. "You think my husband was the target?" he asked Fenner sharply.
"I cannot say with any certainty Your Majesty, there is simply too much we still do not know. It would be impossible for us to say without any real facts. At this point we can't even prove that the two events are connected," the garishly dressed lord said.
Aragorn nodded, frowning his frustration. "What about the poisoning, have we found out anything further about who was behind the attempt?" he asked.
"Very little I'm afraid. We carefully questioned the kitchen staff who usually prepares the milk for Elessarion, none suspected that we were asking questions about the poisoning and most seemed quite open with us. In such a busy environment it is difficult to maintain any security. Anyone could have had access," Boromir explained.
"What of you Lord Fenner, have you heard anything, any rumour that might identify who was involved?" Aragorn asked.
"I have a few ideas of people to visit my lord, but nothing as yet, I do plan to ingratiate myself with a few people tonight, get some rather exclusive invitations," he said with a glimmer in his eyes.
"Good," the young king said. "Now we need to talk about increasing security without appearing to. Within a few weeks the elves from Mirkwood and Rivendell should arrive and we will have more support, but I want to be close to catching these people by that time."
There were nods of agreement and the men set to working out a plan of action for the coming days.
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Legolas retreated to the room reserved for the Prince Consort with Elessarion to get ready for dinner. He wanted to meet Aragorn only at the last minute so that they did not have to exchange too many words. Dressing quickly in a pale blue tunic with darker blue breeches the elven prince sat to brush out his long hair, releasing his hair from the braids that marked his status as a warrior and quickly binding the strands into a different formation. Elessarion watched from the bed, his big blue eyes wide with curiosity.
When he was ready the elven prince joined his son on the bed picking up the small body as Elessarion held out his arms demandingly. Legolas placed a swift kiss on his son's button nose before nuzzling the infant's neck and inhaling the pure, sweet smell of his son.
"Ada," the infant muttered contentedly.
Taking a deep breath Legolas pulled Elessarion back so that he could look directly at the child. "Elessarion, I want you to listen carefully to ada." The child gazed up at his parent solemnly. "Celdarion is going to look after you now, you are going to be a good child and behave for him. Ada will return to you as soon as he can."
Elessarion reached out to grasp strands of his ada's long hair clutching it tightly. "Ada," he said again, but this time the intonation was different, sad and tremulous.
"I know my little love, but it will not be for long. Now Ada has to go for dinner with Papa, I am going to pass you to Celdarion now, remember to behave." Legolas smiled gently at his son, and with a tiny sigh Elessarion obediently released his ada's hair.
Satisfied, Legolas stood and returned to the main chamber where Celdarion awaited him. He passed the infant into the warrior elf's arms before stepping back. Celdarion looked at the solemn expression on the prince's face then he noticed the younger elf's hair.
"Legolas..." he began, but the doorway to the King's bedchamber opened and Aragorn emerged dressed for dinner.
The young king looked at the two elves curiously feeling as though he had interrupted something, but then he shook the feeling off holding out his arm to his husband. "Legolas are you ready?" he asked.
The elf prince nodded and moved to his husband's side allowing the king to tuck his arm beneath his own, before they left he turned quickly to the warrior elf. "Please, take him to your room tonight... and look after him."
Before Celdarion could say anything about the strange look in his charge's eyes the Royal couple had gone leaving him quite literally holding the baby.
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Aragorn was unsure as to what to say to Legolas after their earlier fight, they did not time to speak properly now so he sought for a lighter subject to break the silence. "I like the way you are wearing your hair tonight. It suits you well," he said smiling hopefully at his mate.
Legolas stiffened momentarily before forcing a smile for his mate. "I am glad you approve my lord," he said softly, his eyes cast down towards the floor.
Aragorn frowned at the response he received for his compliment but did not time to say anything further as they arrived in the banquet hall. The Royal couple walked up to the raised dais where they took their seats greeting their people as they went. Holding his chair out for him, Aragorn waited until his mate was seated before taking his own seat.
Dinner was a long affair for the young king. He tried often to initiate a conversation with his husband, or to drew the elf into his conversations with others, but Legolas always answered politely and withdrew from him again. Aragorn grew frustrated and yet knew that he could lay no fault at the feet of his husband for bad behaviour. Legolas was everything a spouse should be, everything his councillors wives were and the young man hated it.
He desperately wanted dinner to end so that he could find some excuse to leave with his mate and then talk to Legolas, apologise to the elf for his harsh words, make things right between them again, but his desires were frustrated at the end of dinner when the dancing began and the young lord who had bagged the wild boar came to collect his prize. Aragorn had not even noticed the meat being placed on his charger such was his misery.
He watched in frustration as Legolas smiled to the young lord and walked with him to the centre of the dance floor, the elf submissive in his movements, allowing the young man to lead him. Gondor's king circled the floor trying to avoid conversation with his courtiers as he watched his husband being gracefully led around the room. As the music ended he moved forward in an attempt to intercept the Prince Consort but he was thwarted again as Chieftain Grotahn's senior advisor waylaid him wishing to speak more about the treaty negotiations, and as people moved around him he lost sight of his mate.
Legolas sighed as the music ended. He bowed to his partner thanking him politely for the dance before turning to walk from the floor. He was halted as Chieftain Grotahn strolled up to him.
"Prince Legolas, I would be honoured, indeed as the representative of the Hrotaki people I feel it my duty to ask you to take a turn with me in the next reel," the heavyset man said formally, but his eyes were cold as they assessed the elf.
Legolas hesitated not wishing to have close contact with the Hrotaki man but seeing that his diplomatic duties left him with little choice he inclined his head slightly in agreement, allowing the man to take his arm and lead him back to the centre of the room. As the music began anew he moved automatically, his feet making the necessary moves as his mind was engaged elsewhere. He was startled when the Hrotaki Chieftain spoke.
"I must admit that I was most astonished this morning, you fought well, better than any man present," Grotahn said, his tone not indicating anything of his thoughts.
"I thank you," Legolas said, unsure as to why the Hrotaki man was mentioning this morning.
"I think though that your lord needs to keep a tighter rein on you. For all that you are a formidable warrior I have been informed that you also the bearer of your king's heir. Such a valuable commodity as yourself should not be placed in danger," the chieftain stated matter of factly.
Legolas grit his teeth at this reminder of his place in the mortal world, his only apparent value being that he could bear children. He forced himself not to respond to the other man though, and remained silent throughout the rest of the dance, and as soon as the music ended he bowed perfunctorily and quickly strode to the edge of the room, finding a quiet place in which to seek out his husband. His anger grew as he thought on the Chieftain's words, and his earlier conversation with Amelia, and he felt only a renewed sense of purpose for his plans.
Finally spotting the young king engaged in conversation with his cousin the elf prince carefully schooling his expression he walked quickly over to his husband's side.
Aragorn felt warmth at his side, and turned to see Legolas appear. The elf looped his arm through the young man's and leant his head gently on Aragorn's shoulder.
"Forgive us Boromir, but do you think that my husband and I might leave early without offending anyone," the elf said in his soft melodic voice.
Boromir smiled gently. "I do not think it matters what people think. If the King and his husband wish to leave the room early then it is for them to decide. In fact I think Amelia and I may follow your example," he said and bowing slightly left the royal couple alone.
Aragorn looked questioningly at his mate, but Legolas said nothing, simply leading the man from the hall and to their chambers in silence. Once they were in the privacy of their own bedchamber Legolas turned to his mate and slowly began to unlace the ties on the man's shirt.
"Legolas, I would speak with you of this morning..." Aragorn began, pausing to gasp sharply as Legolas pushed the edges of his shirt aside, his fingers brushing over the man's nipples. The garment was then pulled down off his shoulders, sliding free of his arms to pool behind him on the floor.
Aragorn then allowed himself to be pulled to the bed where Legolas gently pushed him down to a seated position. The elf then set to work on his own clothes, removing them slowly, with an unconscious grace and sensuality that had the man's member twitching excitedly within the confine of his breeches.
Finally naked, the elf walked slowly up to the man, his proximity so close that the young king was forced to lean back to continue looking up into the face of his mate. Legolas took advantage of that and pushed the man until he was flat on his back, then climbing onto the bed to sit straddling the man's thighs.
The elven prince leant forward until he hovered above the man's chest, and then in a feline movement he dipped his head to place a long lick along the king's breastbone. Aragorn shuddered at the warm wet sensation, but he held onto reason long enough to try to speak to his mate again.
"Legolas please, I am trying to explain... about this morning...my role as king..." the young man was silenced once more, this time by the touch of his mate's finger against his lips.
The elf looked down at him, and Aragorn wondered at the sadness he beheld in the beautiful visage of his mate before the prince leant down once more pressing his lips against the young man's, his tongue licking lightly at the bottom lip of the king, seeking entrance. Aragorn groaned and reason was lost to him as he allowed his husband to have his way.
Legolas used all the knowledge he had gained during their marriage to slowly drive Aragorn wild. To bring him breathlessly to the point of climax only to pull back and tease before working the man up again. He was aware of his own body's state of arousal but his focus rested with his husband. He did not want to couple with his mate many times throughout the night as they sometimes did, instead he hoped to drive his husband to the point that once climax was reached an exhausted collapse would be the inevitable outcome.
Aragorn could stand no more. He had allowed Legolas to set the pace, to explore his body and do all the little things the elf knew turned that caused the man to almost drown in his own passion, yet enough was enough, he could take no more teasing, and with a buck and roll of his hips, and quick use of his hands he managed to flip himself over until he rested upon his lover. His mouth swept down to take the elf's, until the tables were turned and Legolas was the one moaning helplessly beneath him.
Almost blindly Aragorn sought for the bottle of oil he knew would be resting at the side of the bed and his lips smiled against his mate's mouth as his fingers encountered their quarry. Managing to flip open the lid to the bottle with one hand he clumsily slicked up his fingers before reaching down between their bodies, avoiding the turgid flesh of his mate and sweeping beneath to find the puckered entrance to the prince's body. His fingers breached the small hole almost roughly causing his mate to jerk and buck upwards in reaction, but his fingers did not remain idle, quickly seeking that small nub of nerves with the body of his husband.
His fingers met with success, and Legolas keened loudly, his back arching, hips pushing against those nimble fingers to increase the friction within him. It did not take too much work to prepare his mate, and Aragorn was soon reaching again for the oil in order to slick up his eager flesh. The young man felt a small growl work free of his throat as he thrust forward into his mate, the head of his member breaching the guardian ring of muscle. He took a moment to catch his breath and for his mate to adjust before he began pushing forward again, slowly gliding within the hot sheath of his husband's flesh until his own sacs were resting flush against the elf's bottom.
He stilled himself wanting to remember the exquisite feel of muscles tightly wrapped around him, feeling Legolas' pulse from within his body, wanting his mate to remember the feeling of being so thoroughly possessed, to wonder where one ended and the other began.
Legolas felt the burn of his internal muscles as they sought to adjust to the solid mass of muscle now firmly embedded within him, but even as the burn faded Aragorn still did not move, instead his gaze was challenging as he looked down at his husband, daring him to discover who could hold out the longest. Legolas bared his teeth in a wild grin and clenched his muscles tightly around Aragorn's flesh. The man groaned and admitted defeat as his hips bucked forward in response. Then he slowly withdrew gliding back out of the elf's body only to snap his hips forward and embed himself again.
Legolas groaned as the movement of flesh within him passed over his sweet spot, and colours danced in front of him as his body was caught up in the rhythm of this age old dance, his hips pushing up to meet Aragorn's thrusts and deepened the penetration of his body. It was pace neither of them could endure for long after the initial teasing foreplay and with a shout Legolas reached his climax, his seed shooting from his body to coat the stomachs of both himself and his husband. Aragorn felt the tight convulsions of the muscles around him, and his excitement reached his peak. He thrust blindly forward as his own seed jetted from his body bursting into the elf with a ferocious force.
Legolas lay still as the aftershocks of his orgasm sent tremors throughout his body and he felt Aragorn stiffen above him before the scalding heat of the man's seed flooded his insides, and with a small tear escaping his closed eyes he allowed himself to relax, feeling the events of the day catching up to him. He gasped softly at the slight twinge that he felt when Aragorn withdrew from him, and with some effort he managed to roll onto his side, his back to the man who lay beside him, trying to calm his ragged breathing.
"Legolas, that was amazing," he said softly, turning and lifting himself up on to one elbow and reaching out to pull the sweaty strands of golden hair from around his mate's neck, watching as they settled against the pale back of the elf. "We should still talk my love," he said.
Legolas sighed, and blinked away the sudden tears that burned his eyes. "Please Aragorn... I am weary. Let me rest," he said softly. His voice containing a note of pleading.
Aragorn said nothing, instead he moved forward until he was spooned up against the prince's back, his pelvis firmly tucked against the soft globes of the elf's backside, pulling the covers up around them and then throwing his arm possessively over his mate's hips. He let his head move forward until he was nuzzling the back of Legolas' neck, and with a soft gust of air escaping his mouth he allowed himself to fall into slumber.
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Aragorn awoke abruptly, his eyes adjusting quickly to the darkness in the room. It took him a moment to realise that his mate was no longer in bed with him, and rising he quickly grabbed a robe. Something felt wrong, but he could not tell what, so he walked into the sitting room hoping to see Legolas curled up in a chair reading. He knew that his husband sometimes did this during the night, elves not needing sleep in the same way that men did, but the room was empty, and upon inspection Legolas' favourite chair was cold.
He thought quickly as to where his husband might be, feeling his sense of urgency increase although still not knowing why. He left the Royal chambers and stalked quickly down the corridor to Celdarion's rooms. He knew that the elf was taking care of Elessarion tonight, and thought that perhaps his husband had gone to speak to his guardian. He knocked briskly knowing it was unlikely he would wake the older elf, yet there was no answer to his banging. He banged the door again, this time with more force and waited, but there was still no sound of movement from within the chambers.
Reluctant to invade the elf's privacy he hesitantly opened the door and peered quickly inside, but the room was empty. There was no sign of either his son or the warrior. He left the room and made his way to the end of the corridor where two guards stiffened their pose in attention.
"Has my husband come past this way?" he asked without preamble.
The two guards shared a look before one of them responded to the question of their liege. "My lord, the Prince Consort passed here perhaps an hour ago, and was followed shortly after by Lord Celdarion and Prince Elessarion," the young guard said nervously.
"Do you know where they were going?" the king questioned sharply.
"Nay my lord, neither of them said, but if you do not mind us saying so Your Majesty, I do not think Prince Legolas knew we were there. He strode past us without stopping, and he seemed to be..." the guard hesitated, looking uncomfortable.
"What? He seemed to be what?" Aragorn asked, his impatience growing.
"Glowing Your Majesty," the guard finished, lowering his eyes.
Apprehension began to grow within Aragorn, and with a muttered curse he took off running through the palace until he reached the gardens. His footsteps slowed as he reached the clearing in which stood Legolas' bower tree, and he saw a figure standing beneath the branches. What caused his heart to lurch suddenly in his chest was the sight of the branches already curled around a glowing form nestled within.
End of Chapter 6
Quick Notes - I know the idea of braids being used to signify something is not original and I do apologise to anyone who thinks that I'm in some way 'stealing' their idea. I confess I found them to be a very useful plot device in this chapter hence their inclusion.
Sorry not to respond directly to everyone, I do try when I can, especially where people are asking questions, although as I said before, it would spoil my sense of fun if I started hinting at what is to come - hehehe partially cos I haven't decided on all of it yet. :-)
Chapter 6
Legolas returned to the Royal bedchambers quickly wanting to get in and avoid Aragorn for as long as possible. He was therefore relieved when he arrived back and was met only by Celdarion who was watching over Elessarion. The elder elf carefully watched his ward taking in the stiff posture.
"Little one, Aragorn has..." he began but was cut off by the young prince.
"Do not fear Celdarion. All will be well," he said trying to smile reassuringly.
Celdarion nodded warily, not sure how things would be well until his charge and the young king talked properly. "That is good my prince. Your husband asked me to tell you he had been called away to a meeting, and probably would be unavailable until dinner this evening. He will return here to escort you downstairs."
Legolas nodded distractedly. "Thank you Celdarion. I do not have anything on my schedule for this afternoon, I think I will take Elessarion and sit in the gardens, somewhere secluded I think."
Celdarion's worry increased but he could say nothing as the prince gathered up his son and a few items and left the chamber, the guard following silently behind.
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Aragorn sat in his private study, his uncle Denethor and cousin Boromir were with him as was Lord Fenner, and the head of the Royal Guard Jerin, who had been with them on that morning's hunt. "Have we discovered yet how the orcs got so close, or even why they ventured so close to the city. Were they travelling somewhere?" he asked as they all got comfortable.
Boromir and Jerin shared a look. "We sent scouts deep into the forest to track their previous movements. It does not look as though were travelling somewhere. There is evidence that they had been camped there for at least a sevenight," Jerin explained.
"For what purpose, and why were they not discovered previously?" Aragorn frowned as he queried his people.
"I do not know my lord. Those forests are used primarily for hunting. The game within is usually reserved only for the King's hunting party, most of the common folk wither raise their own livestock or trade for livestock from farmers." The royal guard shrugged apologetically for being unable to offer further information.
"From appearances it would seem they were there to attack any hunting party that ventured into the forest. They were certainly heavily armed enough to conclude they were there with battle in mind. The question is, did they know that the King would be leading the hunting party," Boromir said.
"I think a better question would be how is this connected to the murder attempt on your son my lord," Fenner said, speaking finally. All eyes flew to him and at the king's gesture he continued with his theorising. "Were they engaged by an outside party to enter the forest and lie in wait, and was the King their true target?"
"Who else would they have targeted?" Denethor asked.
"It was a very distinguished hunting party, the choice of targets was numerous, however if this was connected in any way to the poisoning then it would be logical to assume that the Royal family was a target," Fenner explained, his hands steepled under his chin as he continued to work through the facts in his mind.
"Legolas," Aragorn breathed softly. "You think my husband was the target?" he asked Fenner sharply.
"I cannot say with any certainty Your Majesty, there is simply too much we still do not know. It would be impossible for us to say without any real facts. At this point we can't even prove that the two events are connected," the garishly dressed lord said.
Aragorn nodded, frowning his frustration. "What about the poisoning, have we found out anything further about who was behind the attempt?" he asked.
"Very little I'm afraid. We carefully questioned the kitchen staff who usually prepares the milk for Elessarion, none suspected that we were asking questions about the poisoning and most seemed quite open with us. In such a busy environment it is difficult to maintain any security. Anyone could have had access," Boromir explained.
"What of you Lord Fenner, have you heard anything, any rumour that might identify who was involved?" Aragorn asked.
"I have a few ideas of people to visit my lord, but nothing as yet, I do plan to ingratiate myself with a few people tonight, get some rather exclusive invitations," he said with a glimmer in his eyes.
"Good," the young king said. "Now we need to talk about increasing security without appearing to. Within a few weeks the elves from Mirkwood and Rivendell should arrive and we will have more support, but I want to be close to catching these people by that time."
There were nods of agreement and the men set to working out a plan of action for the coming days.
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Legolas retreated to the room reserved for the Prince Consort with Elessarion to get ready for dinner. He wanted to meet Aragorn only at the last minute so that they did not have to exchange too many words. Dressing quickly in a pale blue tunic with darker blue breeches the elven prince sat to brush out his long hair, releasing his hair from the braids that marked his status as a warrior and quickly binding the strands into a different formation. Elessarion watched from the bed, his big blue eyes wide with curiosity.
When he was ready the elven prince joined his son on the bed picking up the small body as Elessarion held out his arms demandingly. Legolas placed a swift kiss on his son's button nose before nuzzling the infant's neck and inhaling the pure, sweet smell of his son.
"Ada," the infant muttered contentedly.
Taking a deep breath Legolas pulled Elessarion back so that he could look directly at the child. "Elessarion, I want you to listen carefully to ada." The child gazed up at his parent solemnly. "Celdarion is going to look after you now, you are going to be a good child and behave for him. Ada will return to you as soon as he can."
Elessarion reached out to grasp strands of his ada's long hair clutching it tightly. "Ada," he said again, but this time the intonation was different, sad and tremulous.
"I know my little love, but it will not be for long. Now Ada has to go for dinner with Papa, I am going to pass you to Celdarion now, remember to behave." Legolas smiled gently at his son, and with a tiny sigh Elessarion obediently released his ada's hair.
Satisfied, Legolas stood and returned to the main chamber where Celdarion awaited him. He passed the infant into the warrior elf's arms before stepping back. Celdarion looked at the solemn expression on the prince's face then he noticed the younger elf's hair.
"Legolas..." he began, but the doorway to the King's bedchamber opened and Aragorn emerged dressed for dinner.
The young king looked at the two elves curiously feeling as though he had interrupted something, but then he shook the feeling off holding out his arm to his husband. "Legolas are you ready?" he asked.
The elf prince nodded and moved to his husband's side allowing the king to tuck his arm beneath his own, before they left he turned quickly to the warrior elf. "Please, take him to your room tonight... and look after him."
Before Celdarion could say anything about the strange look in his charge's eyes the Royal couple had gone leaving him quite literally holding the baby.
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Aragorn was unsure as to what to say to Legolas after their earlier fight, they did not time to speak properly now so he sought for a lighter subject to break the silence. "I like the way you are wearing your hair tonight. It suits you well," he said smiling hopefully at his mate.
Legolas stiffened momentarily before forcing a smile for his mate. "I am glad you approve my lord," he said softly, his eyes cast down towards the floor.
Aragorn frowned at the response he received for his compliment but did not time to say anything further as they arrived in the banquet hall. The Royal couple walked up to the raised dais where they took their seats greeting their people as they went. Holding his chair out for him, Aragorn waited until his mate was seated before taking his own seat.
Dinner was a long affair for the young king. He tried often to initiate a conversation with his husband, or to drew the elf into his conversations with others, but Legolas always answered politely and withdrew from him again. Aragorn grew frustrated and yet knew that he could lay no fault at the feet of his husband for bad behaviour. Legolas was everything a spouse should be, everything his councillors wives were and the young man hated it.
He desperately wanted dinner to end so that he could find some excuse to leave with his mate and then talk to Legolas, apologise to the elf for his harsh words, make things right between them again, but his desires were frustrated at the end of dinner when the dancing began and the young lord who had bagged the wild boar came to collect his prize. Aragorn had not even noticed the meat being placed on his charger such was his misery.
He watched in frustration as Legolas smiled to the young lord and walked with him to the centre of the dance floor, the elf submissive in his movements, allowing the young man to lead him. Gondor's king circled the floor trying to avoid conversation with his courtiers as he watched his husband being gracefully led around the room. As the music ended he moved forward in an attempt to intercept the Prince Consort but he was thwarted again as Chieftain Grotahn's senior advisor waylaid him wishing to speak more about the treaty negotiations, and as people moved around him he lost sight of his mate.
Legolas sighed as the music ended. He bowed to his partner thanking him politely for the dance before turning to walk from the floor. He was halted as Chieftain Grotahn strolled up to him.
"Prince Legolas, I would be honoured, indeed as the representative of the Hrotaki people I feel it my duty to ask you to take a turn with me in the next reel," the heavyset man said formally, but his eyes were cold as they assessed the elf.
Legolas hesitated not wishing to have close contact with the Hrotaki man but seeing that his diplomatic duties left him with little choice he inclined his head slightly in agreement, allowing the man to take his arm and lead him back to the centre of the room. As the music began anew he moved automatically, his feet making the necessary moves as his mind was engaged elsewhere. He was startled when the Hrotaki Chieftain spoke.
"I must admit that I was most astonished this morning, you fought well, better than any man present," Grotahn said, his tone not indicating anything of his thoughts.
"I thank you," Legolas said, unsure as to why the Hrotaki man was mentioning this morning.
"I think though that your lord needs to keep a tighter rein on you. For all that you are a formidable warrior I have been informed that you also the bearer of your king's heir. Such a valuable commodity as yourself should not be placed in danger," the chieftain stated matter of factly.
Legolas grit his teeth at this reminder of his place in the mortal world, his only apparent value being that he could bear children. He forced himself not to respond to the other man though, and remained silent throughout the rest of the dance, and as soon as the music ended he bowed perfunctorily and quickly strode to the edge of the room, finding a quiet place in which to seek out his husband. His anger grew as he thought on the Chieftain's words, and his earlier conversation with Amelia, and he felt only a renewed sense of purpose for his plans.
Finally spotting the young king engaged in conversation with his cousin the elf prince carefully schooling his expression he walked quickly over to his husband's side.
Aragorn felt warmth at his side, and turned to see Legolas appear. The elf looped his arm through the young man's and leant his head gently on Aragorn's shoulder.
"Forgive us Boromir, but do you think that my husband and I might leave early without offending anyone," the elf said in his soft melodic voice.
Boromir smiled gently. "I do not think it matters what people think. If the King and his husband wish to leave the room early then it is for them to decide. In fact I think Amelia and I may follow your example," he said and bowing slightly left the royal couple alone.
Aragorn looked questioningly at his mate, but Legolas said nothing, simply leading the man from the hall and to their chambers in silence. Once they were in the privacy of their own bedchamber Legolas turned to his mate and slowly began to unlace the ties on the man's shirt.
"Legolas, I would speak with you of this morning..." Aragorn began, pausing to gasp sharply as Legolas pushed the edges of his shirt aside, his fingers brushing over the man's nipples. The garment was then pulled down off his shoulders, sliding free of his arms to pool behind him on the floor.
Aragorn then allowed himself to be pulled to the bed where Legolas gently pushed him down to a seated position. The elf then set to work on his own clothes, removing them slowly, with an unconscious grace and sensuality that had the man's member twitching excitedly within the confine of his breeches.
Finally naked, the elf walked slowly up to the man, his proximity so close that the young king was forced to lean back to continue looking up into the face of his mate. Legolas took advantage of that and pushed the man until he was flat on his back, then climbing onto the bed to sit straddling the man's thighs.
The elven prince leant forward until he hovered above the man's chest, and then in a feline movement he dipped his head to place a long lick along the king's breastbone. Aragorn shuddered at the warm wet sensation, but he held onto reason long enough to try to speak to his mate again.
"Legolas please, I am trying to explain... about this morning...my role as king..." the young man was silenced once more, this time by the touch of his mate's finger against his lips.
The elf looked down at him, and Aragorn wondered at the sadness he beheld in the beautiful visage of his mate before the prince leant down once more pressing his lips against the young man's, his tongue licking lightly at the bottom lip of the king, seeking entrance. Aragorn groaned and reason was lost to him as he allowed his husband to have his way.
Legolas used all the knowledge he had gained during their marriage to slowly drive Aragorn wild. To bring him breathlessly to the point of climax only to pull back and tease before working the man up again. He was aware of his own body's state of arousal but his focus rested with his husband. He did not want to couple with his mate many times throughout the night as they sometimes did, instead he hoped to drive his husband to the point that once climax was reached an exhausted collapse would be the inevitable outcome.
Aragorn could stand no more. He had allowed Legolas to set the pace, to explore his body and do all the little things the elf knew turned that caused the man to almost drown in his own passion, yet enough was enough, he could take no more teasing, and with a buck and roll of his hips, and quick use of his hands he managed to flip himself over until he rested upon his lover. His mouth swept down to take the elf's, until the tables were turned and Legolas was the one moaning helplessly beneath him.
Almost blindly Aragorn sought for the bottle of oil he knew would be resting at the side of the bed and his lips smiled against his mate's mouth as his fingers encountered their quarry. Managing to flip open the lid to the bottle with one hand he clumsily slicked up his fingers before reaching down between their bodies, avoiding the turgid flesh of his mate and sweeping beneath to find the puckered entrance to the prince's body. His fingers breached the small hole almost roughly causing his mate to jerk and buck upwards in reaction, but his fingers did not remain idle, quickly seeking that small nub of nerves with the body of his husband.
His fingers met with success, and Legolas keened loudly, his back arching, hips pushing against those nimble fingers to increase the friction within him. It did not take too much work to prepare his mate, and Aragorn was soon reaching again for the oil in order to slick up his eager flesh. The young man felt a small growl work free of his throat as he thrust forward into his mate, the head of his member breaching the guardian ring of muscle. He took a moment to catch his breath and for his mate to adjust before he began pushing forward again, slowly gliding within the hot sheath of his husband's flesh until his own sacs were resting flush against the elf's bottom.
He stilled himself wanting to remember the exquisite feel of muscles tightly wrapped around him, feeling Legolas' pulse from within his body, wanting his mate to remember the feeling of being so thoroughly possessed, to wonder where one ended and the other began.
Legolas felt the burn of his internal muscles as they sought to adjust to the solid mass of muscle now firmly embedded within him, but even as the burn faded Aragorn still did not move, instead his gaze was challenging as he looked down at his husband, daring him to discover who could hold out the longest. Legolas bared his teeth in a wild grin and clenched his muscles tightly around Aragorn's flesh. The man groaned and admitted defeat as his hips bucked forward in response. Then he slowly withdrew gliding back out of the elf's body only to snap his hips forward and embed himself again.
Legolas groaned as the movement of flesh within him passed over his sweet spot, and colours danced in front of him as his body was caught up in the rhythm of this age old dance, his hips pushing up to meet Aragorn's thrusts and deepened the penetration of his body. It was pace neither of them could endure for long after the initial teasing foreplay and with a shout Legolas reached his climax, his seed shooting from his body to coat the stomachs of both himself and his husband. Aragorn felt the tight convulsions of the muscles around him, and his excitement reached his peak. He thrust blindly forward as his own seed jetted from his body bursting into the elf with a ferocious force.
Legolas lay still as the aftershocks of his orgasm sent tremors throughout his body and he felt Aragorn stiffen above him before the scalding heat of the man's seed flooded his insides, and with a small tear escaping his closed eyes he allowed himself to relax, feeling the events of the day catching up to him. He gasped softly at the slight twinge that he felt when Aragorn withdrew from him, and with some effort he managed to roll onto his side, his back to the man who lay beside him, trying to calm his ragged breathing.
"Legolas, that was amazing," he said softly, turning and lifting himself up on to one elbow and reaching out to pull the sweaty strands of golden hair from around his mate's neck, watching as they settled against the pale back of the elf. "We should still talk my love," he said.
Legolas sighed, and blinked away the sudden tears that burned his eyes. "Please Aragorn... I am weary. Let me rest," he said softly. His voice containing a note of pleading.
Aragorn said nothing, instead he moved forward until he was spooned up against the prince's back, his pelvis firmly tucked against the soft globes of the elf's backside, pulling the covers up around them and then throwing his arm possessively over his mate's hips. He let his head move forward until he was nuzzling the back of Legolas' neck, and with a soft gust of air escaping his mouth he allowed himself to fall into slumber.
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Aragorn awoke abruptly, his eyes adjusting quickly to the darkness in the room. It took him a moment to realise that his mate was no longer in bed with him, and rising he quickly grabbed a robe. Something felt wrong, but he could not tell what, so he walked into the sitting room hoping to see Legolas curled up in a chair reading. He knew that his husband sometimes did this during the night, elves not needing sleep in the same way that men did, but the room was empty, and upon inspection Legolas' favourite chair was cold.
He thought quickly as to where his husband might be, feeling his sense of urgency increase although still not knowing why. He left the Royal chambers and stalked quickly down the corridor to Celdarion's rooms. He knew that the elf was taking care of Elessarion tonight, and thought that perhaps his husband had gone to speak to his guardian. He knocked briskly knowing it was unlikely he would wake the older elf, yet there was no answer to his banging. He banged the door again, this time with more force and waited, but there was still no sound of movement from within the chambers.
Reluctant to invade the elf's privacy he hesitantly opened the door and peered quickly inside, but the room was empty. There was no sign of either his son or the warrior. He left the room and made his way to the end of the corridor where two guards stiffened their pose in attention.
"Has my husband come past this way?" he asked without preamble.
The two guards shared a look before one of them responded to the question of their liege. "My lord, the Prince Consort passed here perhaps an hour ago, and was followed shortly after by Lord Celdarion and Prince Elessarion," the young guard said nervously.
"Do you know where they were going?" the king questioned sharply.
"Nay my lord, neither of them said, but if you do not mind us saying so Your Majesty, I do not think Prince Legolas knew we were there. He strode past us without stopping, and he seemed to be..." the guard hesitated, looking uncomfortable.
"What? He seemed to be what?" Aragorn asked, his impatience growing.
"Glowing Your Majesty," the guard finished, lowering his eyes.
Apprehension began to grow within Aragorn, and with a muttered curse he took off running through the palace until he reached the gardens. His footsteps slowed as he reached the clearing in which stood Legolas' bower tree, and he saw a figure standing beneath the branches. What caused his heart to lurch suddenly in his chest was the sight of the branches already curled around a glowing form nestled within.
End of Chapter 6
Quick Notes - I know the idea of braids being used to signify something is not original and I do apologise to anyone who thinks that I'm in some way 'stealing' their idea. I confess I found them to be a very useful plot device in this chapter hence their inclusion.
Sorry not to respond directly to everyone, I do try when I can, especially where people are asking questions, although as I said before, it would spoil my sense of fun if I started hinting at what is to come - hehehe partially cos I haven't decided on all of it yet. :-)