Disclaimer: I don't own LoTR. If I did the movies would have been roughly a day and a half a piece, there would have been more Gil-galad (which my mom noticed sounded a lot better than Dalag-lig) and there would have been the part were the fellowship gets pulled up by the Lothorien Elves AND the part with the rope bridge AND Haldir would have never died. In the books there would have been more fighting and description, the Elves would have come at Helms Deep and they would have a lot easier to understand language. The language wasn't that hard but some times it got annoying…
Warning: Still slash. That's not really gonna change the entire story so you should probably get used to it or stop reading….
Viggomaniac- I mainly wanted to make Aragorn evil because I had never seen it done before. If you want a reason I'm going to have one come up later but remember that this is an AU story… Thank you for the review.
Aislynn Crowdaughter- I'm sorry that this story isn't very good. It's only my second fan fiction and my first serious one. Did I not put up the fact that this story is AU? If I didn't then I'm really sorry. This story is supposed to be completely different then the actual story. Just about the only thing that's the same in both the real story and my story is that the ring was destroyed. All of the characters are different…. And there is a reason why Legolas is like that and does what he does and it actually does come up later in the story. What happened between them also comes up later but at this point you're not really supposed to know what happened. I've changed it so that someone that Legolas really cares for is there when Aragorn threatens. Thanks! I'm sorry that you didn't really like my story, I am sorta new at this so the criticism helps, but thank you for reviewing.
Lynx Yamato- Thanks for the compliment I'm glad that at least a few people like this story. I was starting to think that no one really liked it! Thank you SOO much for reviewing!
Crystal Blue Dry Ice- Thank you! I'm really glad that you like it! This story hasn't been up for more then a day and it already had more reviews then my first story. Hah…. But anyway I'm glad that you like it and I hope that you like this new chapter! Thanks for the positive review. It let me know that at least two people like my story!
The King of Men
I'm numb to you
More than death and life
You give me all but the reason why
I reach but I feel only air at night.
Not you. Not love. Just nothing.
Evanesces
I woke up the next morning alone in Aragorns bed.
I had bruises all over my arms and torso and a ring of them around my neck, although I didn't know that until later. I noticed that my wrist were rubbed raw and looked like they had been bleeding for a while when I went to rub my eyes. Along with that I had cuts, one of which went from my collar bone to my bellybutton. This cut had resulted in a thin layer of blood all over my chest, stomach and on the sheets. I had more cuts all along the back of my upper legs and it hurt to lay or sit. Also, the soles feet were cut up as well. I immediately understood why from past personal experiences and I tried to ready myself for the pain before I tried to stand and look at the damage that had been done that I couldn't see. It did really hurt to stand, much less walk, with my feet like that. It was then that I saw the bruises on my neck and, when I saw myself, I actually let out a wry laugh.
Most of my body was hurt in some way except my face and hands… It was almost like Aragorn had had practice at doing this… Like he knew were my clothes would end and what they would and wouldn't cover up…
I sighed, brushed back my hair and began the look for my clothes.
There was nothing else that I could do. Aragorn had found my biggest weaknesses and was exploiting them. That was just like him. You do what ever the hell you need to in order to win, no matter what you were trying to get.
I found my clothes and sat down on the bed for a moment.
This was like some deranged nightmare. The man that I knew as Aragorn, the man that I had entrusted my life to time after time and who I considered one of my best friends, could never have done this…. I did not know who this 'new' Aragorn was but he was not my friend. Not the man that I had, at one time, almost loved.
I started to get dressed and, because he seemed to know that this would happen before I had any idea, decided to go and talk to Faramir. I knew were he would be if it was still morning. He had a tendency to go to the library (is that what they called them in the book?) when he had the time and I knew that he would today.
I would have to be careful for Elladan also had a tendency to visit the libraries at the same time.
"Faramir…." I called to the man, seeing his retreating figure. He was the only person that I knew that I had seen… had not seen Elladan and I was very thankful for that….He turned when he heard his name and did not look happy when he saw me. He looked almost… worried….
"Yes, Prince?" He asked very quickly and quietly.
"I… I just wanted to ask you something…" I trailed off as I looked at him. Once side of his normally fair face was covered in bruises and he had a small cut on his lip.
"Prince?" I started as I realized that he was talking to me. "I was asking what it was that you wanted to talk me about?"
"Yes… I wanted to ask you about when you came to see me… well I mean when you talked to me right after Aragorns coronation." Faramir palled at the mention of Aragorn and quickly licked his lips, seeming to be unsure of what to say.
"I… I was drunk." He finally said, looking away from my face and more towards my hands. I was not sure why he did that at first but then realized that the cuts on my wrist were showing.
I covered them as quickly as I could and tried to continue the conversation.
"So, if I may inquire, what has happened to your face?" Once more he would not look me in the eyes.
"I was not paying enough attention when I was sparing and as a result my partner gave me theses." I lifted my head a fraction of an inch.
"Ah… So who was the one that managed to hit you. I know from experience that even when you are not paying attention it takes a skilled fighter to land such a heavy blow." He shrugged and tilted his head to one side, tilting to the same side.
"I was not paying attention…." He repeated.
"Surely you must know who it was." I smiled, slightly, trying to act as if I was merely interested in learning who this up and coming fighter was. Trying to act casual, as if I were inquiring about the weather or such. I truthfully do not know if I succeeded.
"I do not remember." He finally replied disheartened. I nodded my head at his answer.
"I know that it was not from any equal, in fact any, sparring match that you received those wounds…" He shrugged off my comment. "I know that he came to you and he hurt you… he hurt you and it was my fault because I told him that you tried to warn me… tried to help me…" I whispered darkly, drawing closer so that he could hear me. "I am sorry…" He finally gave me some reply in the form of a pained grimace.
"Why couldn't you have just left?" He whispered back to me, looking around to make sure that no one was there. "If you had he would have done nothing. You would have been free. You could have gotten away from him before he got to you." He grabbed my shoulders in an action unbefitting him and unexpected.
"You could be with the ones that you love." He hissed, looking at me from beneath drawn-down brows.
As he mentioned the ones that I cared about I could feel something within me twist and clench inside of me. I had only been unfaithful to the ones I loved once, and even then I hadn't been in control of myself. Now… after what had just happened… I felt dirty and used. I felt that he could never again see the two of them
My beloved Elladan and Elrohir…
"Why didn't you say anything more?" I asked, angered at the mention of the two that I loved, even if he didn't know that he had mentioned them.
"WHY SHOULD I HAVE?" He fumed, his voice finally going, once more, above a whisper. "I tried to help and you thought that I was drunk."
"But WHY didn't you?" I asked once more. He would not meet my eyes.
"…"
"Were you scared of his wrath? Scared of the pain that would ensue?" I knew that that would hurt him. Faramir was not scared of much and I wanted an answer even if I had to insult him to get it. My Aragorn… I was acting like you at that time…
"I do not fear HIM." He said, looking me in the eyes, anger consuming everything else. "Besides he could not hurt me as much as my father did. Every blow that comes from Aragorn is simply from my King but every blow that came from Denathor was also coming from my Father. Aragron cannot compare with that."
"Then WHY?" The anger that was controlling him made in much less intelligent and less aware of others feelings I suppose.
"Because I did not want to be the only one to have to suffer through it!" He yelled forgetting everything around him. "I did NOT want to be the only one that ever carried that shame and that burden." I stood there and gaped at him.
"I wanted someone to share the burden and I knew that you would be the someone." He glared at me, brown hair casting shadows over her features. "I knew that he wanted you and I knew that he would get you. I wanted you to hurt like I had…." He finished in a whisper.
This was unbelievable. I had not believed that Faramir was even capable of something like that… He did not wait for me to respond and left, turning on his heal and walking away from me at a brisk pace.
The rest of the day went normally, although when ever I saw Faramir or Aragorn I would either look at the person in betrayal or in fear. Fear mostly because I half expected Aragorn to tell me to come to his room again and betrayal because I still could not believe what Faramir had done.
When night came Aragorn did not call me, nor had he called me at any other time during the day. I thought that I would have a peaceful night. I did… at least for the most part. Since I was living in the city of Gondor I had taken to sleeping like a human would; in a bed with my eyes closed and for some odd reason tonight I had a dream.
This was one of, if not the first time that that ever happened to me and when I woke I first wondered were I was for it was not the same place as my dream.
In my dream I had been in Imladris, in one of the beds. On either side of me were the twins, Elladan and Elrohir, my lovers, the three of us intertwined and tight together warm skin pressing up against warm skin. The two of them were sleeping, their human blood demanding rest from them, and I took comfort in the steady rhythm of their breathing.
As one of them stirred I was jarred from the dream, why I still do not know, but jarred none the less. I woke up and sat straight up in bed, looking around me wildly and breathing irregularly. I did not know were I was and… And were had the twins gone? They had been right here bedsides me in the be….d…. I then remembered were I was and what had happened to me in the past day.
It was still dark in the room and in the darkness my fears seemed amplified, my hopelessness justified a hundred times over, and my self loathing something that was to be expected.
I pulled the sheets tighter around me, curled myself into the smallest form I could manage and, for a time, simply sat. As I sat there memories came back to me. Memories of my home, of good things and bad things and… Then I could feel a single tear slide, unbidden, down my cheek.
I am one of the princes of Mirkwood and I could not force myself to stop.
I allowed tears to fall until the first lights of the dawn drifted through my windows…
