It was several weeks after Aredhel's funeral before a date was set before Tanondor's trial, and another two passed by between that final decision and the actual hearing. Of course, the nobility and the citizenry of Gondor were abuzz with speculation as to why there had been such a delay. The king usually insisted on hearing cases as soon as possible; for ethical reasons (such as not wanting someone who may be innocent languishing in the dungeons for longer than they had to), practical (mostly concerning Gondor's system for keeping track of prisoners and their related information; for as good as it was it was far from perfect and the longer a person was down there the more likely it was that their information would be misplaced and they would be overlooked), and personal (he could only take so much gossip and preferred to satisfy his people's curiosity before it drove him completely insane).
Those reasons applied to even the most heinous of Gondor's offenders but apparently King Elessar didn't care about any of them when it came to his children's kidnapper. Different rumors ran wild in every street and home. Some empathetic souls believed that King Elessar had waited so long because he wanted to give his family a reprieve from all of the hardships and grief they'd been forced to endure as of late. Other more cynical people asserted that he wanted Tanondor to stew in his own worry and regret until the former lord had driven himself almost mad. Another popular theory was the delay was simply due to the fact that the king didn't care if the prisoner rotted away in a dark, dank, filthy cell and in fact found that fate preferable to ending his emotional suffering quickly. But no matter what story people passed around and believed there was no one in the city and beyond who found fault in King Elessar's decision to wait as long as he did.
The truth of the matter was that while all of the above speculation played at least a small part in Aragorn's decision the real reason he'd put off Tanondor's trial was for much the same reason he'd (on a smaller scale) delayed Lady Nienor's thirteen years earlier: he was waiting until he was in a place mentally and emotionally where he could preside over it in a fair manner. As much as he personally despised Tanondor with all that he was Aragorn was still a king and judge and he had a responsibility to his people, his family, and himself not to give in to his desire for revenge. Only a tyrant allowed his emotions to completely control his rule; and while he'd recently been a king who'd forgotten he was also a Man he knew he couldn't carry that extreme the other way by being a Man who forgot he was also a king. He'd once had an effective balance between the king and the Man once and he had to hope he could find it again.
Aragorn also had another responsibility, this one to Eldarion. His son was going to be sitting on that throne one day, facing these types of difficult decisions. He would be doing Eldarion (and the future generations of Gondor) no favors if he taught the boy it was all right to wreak vengeance on whoever he wanted to just because he could. A king could be powerful without losing control of a situation, and the trial would (unfortunately) be a good time to demonstrate that to the boy.
That was going to be a difficult lesson for Aragorn to demonstrate, however, for the same reason why the trial was also significantly different from that of Lady Nienor: this time Legolas was not advocating for the accused. Aragorn had never and would never totally understand why his husband had felt sorry for the woman who'd tried to kill him and their unborn son but it had helped him nonetheless; knowing that the elf had forgiven her had essentially given him permission to let go of his own hostility enough to act fair and pass down a just sentence. There was no forgiveness now. Perhaps the fact that in the end the lady's crimes hadn't resulted in any deaths helped Legolas see past what she did to understand her motivation but now Tanondor had crossed a line that not even the prince could forgive when the royal couple had lost Aredhel because of the insane Man's machinations.
The hearing couldn't be put off forever, though, and sooner than either Man or elf would have preferred the day of the trial was upon them. On the morning of, less than an hour before it was scheduled to begin, Aragorn and Legolas were bustling around the antechamber in their quarters, making sure Meren and Gilraen were ready for their baby-sitters and generally avoiding talking about where they were going to next. Closing the doors to the cabinet where he'd just neatly stacked the diapers for easy access, the Man looked over his shoulder and had to smirk as he watched his husband burp one of their daughters. "A lot of people would be appalled if they knew you did that while wearing your finest clothing," he noted, keeping his tone deliberately light.
"A lot of people would also be appalled if they knew everything we've done on your throne," retorted Legolas with the same forced carelessness. "But that's none of their business and neither is this."
A satisfactory burp came out of the infant. "Good girl," the elf murmured, kissing her little head. He placed the baby back in her crib and tossed aside the close he'd had on his shoulder. "There; now no one will be able to figure out anything scandalous happened. I am now presentable."
"You're beautiful," Aragorn corrected him. No one would argue with that assessment – the elf prince was clad in the same sort of Mannish clothing he usually wore when he attended the official court, with these particular garments a mixture of regal blue and brilliant red and made of the finest materials. Yet no matter how stunning he was physically that's not what Aragorn was looking at and they both knew it.
"Thank you," said Legolas.
Aragorn watched as the elf arranged a light blanket around their daughter. "Do you think she'll fall asleep before we leave?" he wondered aloud.
"Yes," replied Legolas before he let out a deep sigh. "Do you think before we leave we should start talking about what we're avoiding talking about?"
"There's not much to talk about – we both know I wish Eldarion wasn't attending the trial," asserted Aragorn, not for the first time. "I believe he's too young to have to go through being present at the trial of the Man who tried to maim him, let alone participating in it."
"I'm not too happy about it either but he insisted on coming and neither of us could come up wit a real reason to deny him that request," replied Legolas patiently but tiredly. Eldarion's announcement about his intentions to attend Tanondor's hearing had resulted in a noisy 'discussion' between his parents. Aragorn had been surprised and none too pleased when the normally overprotective Legolas had sided with their son. He'd been even less happy when he couldn't figure out one sufficient excuse about why the boy couldn't go.
While Legolas was more than sympathetic with his husband's turmoil he didn't agree with him and held firm to his opposing position. "I think it would do more harm than good to make him stay away," he insisted, looking encouragingly into Aragorn's eyes. "It would only serve to forever make Tanondor that menacing monster in his mind. Seeing that Man sentenced – and getting the chance to confront him in a safe surrounding – will give him a sense of control over what happened and a chance for some closure."
The Man could see the wisdom in that – in fact he'd always known it, which was why he'd allowed Legolas and Eldarion to veto his objections so easily at all. He just wished that it was only a few lingering doubts that was making him so melancholy about the whole situation. "He shouldn't have to," he reiterated softly. "We're his parents – it's our job to take care of the monsters for him."
"He's almost thirteen," Legolas pointed out. "And he's already proven that he's capable and ready to take on more adult responsibilities. It's difficult for me too, melanin, but we'd be doing a disservice to Eldarion if we didn't help him learn how to handle facing his fears."
"But he's not an adult!" protested the Man. He knew his tone was bordering on whining but at the moment he was feeling too petulant to care. "I don't care what happened after Tanondor took him – just because he was able to handle himself in a crisis doesn't mean…I don't know…"
"Aragorn," said Legolas as kindly as he could while setting aside his exasperation. "Is this really all about Eldarion or are your objections also because of how you're feeling?"
Aragorn scrunched up his face, silently denying that to his husband and himself but both of them knew he was lying. After looking Legolas in the eye almost defiantly for a couple of seconds the king found he had to look down. "Maybe," he admitted, walking over to the rocking chairs and sinking down in one. "It's just – it seems like only one minute ago he was our little boy. He tormented his sister, played with his wooden sword, did everything he could to get out of his etiquette lesson with the Advisors' Council, and depended on us to protect him. Is this a punishment, Legolas? Since we failed to protect him once the Valar now see fit to take away that privilege from us?"
"I can't believe what I'm hearing," marveled Legolas. He couldn't help laughing a little as he knelt down in front of his husband and comfortingly squeezed his hands. "I'm the one who overreacted to him moving to his nursery as a baby and you're the one who gave him that hunting knife and conspired with him not to tell him about it. I'm the one who still uses his baby nickname, for Elbereth's sake! How is it that I'm the one who has to talk you through your turmoil as he matures even more?"
"This isn't funny, Legolas," insisted Aragorn with a miserable groan. "When we got to the farm we found our son, but not our little boy. That Eldarion was taken from us before the proper time and we never got to bid him a proper farewell."
"No parent does," Legolas told him wisely. "No matter how prepared they think they are every parent goes through the shock of waking up one morning to find that their child is now a young adult."
"But it happened so abruptly," murmured Aragorn.
Legolas moved a little closer and held Aragorn's face with both hands. "I'm sure our fathers felt the same way," he said gently. "I mean, one minute I was sitting on my father's lap listening to his lesson about the Last Alliance and the next I had to be mature enough to tolerate a stream of troubadours who refused to let me be. You were just a typical little boy who annoyed his older brothers and then in the blink of an eye you were experiencing the very grown-up feeling of love. It's a parent's curse: what we put Ada and Lord Elrond through is what we now must endure with our own son."
"I know," sighed Aragorn resignedly. A nostalgic light came to his eyes. "I am going to miss him, though."
"He's not moving to a distant land," said Legolas with a hint of playful admonishment in his tone. "And the little boy isn't completely gone either. If it makes you feel any better I'll have you know Eldarion played with young Frodo in the garden just yesterday. This only means he has to incorporate his maturing nature into who he already is."
Aragorn covered the hands cupping his face with his own. "So you're telling me our little boy will still be around for a little while longer?" he asked, wry but sincerely hopeful.
"I think there's no danger of that part of him ever completely disappearing," replied Legolas with a mischievous smirk. "He is your son, after all; and judging by the way you behave around Elladan and Elrohir I feel reasonably confident in saying that his immature side will always exist."
"You're very cruel to me, melanin," said Aragorn, his voice softening into almost a purr. "I'm suffering a personal crisis and all you can do is make jokes at my expense. I thought you loved me."
"I do love you, Aragorn," declared Legolas softly and with perfect seriousness.
As if something invisible was pulling them toward each other Legolas and Aragorn leaned in at the same time, coming closer to one another until their lips finally met. The kiss started out chaste enough but soon their mouths yielded open and their tongues dueled with a good amount of passion. Legolas' hands found their way to the back of the Man's head and gently but firmly held him in place while Aragorn's slid down his husband's arms and hooked underneath his shoulders, enabling him to pull the elf closer.
"Wow," whispered Aragorn when their mouths finally parted. "We haven't done anything like that in a long time."
"Or anything else, for that matter," said Legolas, feeling a little awkward. The last time they'd been intimate was the day Aredhel had been conceived. Tanondor's twisted gift to Laurelin had come almost immediately after and that night the little girl had moved into her fathers' bedchamber, giving them no privacy. Eldarion had followed suite, crowding the space even more. Then came the kidnapping, miscarriage, funerals, and preparing for the trial. While the children were finally back in their bedchambers the recent tragedies and near-tragedies had taken their toll on the royal couple's romantic life. As much as Legolas missed that intimacy he couldn't help feeling guilty about wanting it so soon after Aredhel's death. "It's been…"
"I know," Aragorn told him understandingly. "And sometimes it does feel…wrong to want that closeness and happiness after so much grief, but" –
"She wouldn't want us to be in deep mourning for her for the rest of our days," completed Legolas. "It wouldn't be a fitting tribute to Aredhel to stop living our lives. Let's just – let's just get through today, my love, and start to work this out tonight. Right now, alas, we have a trial to attend.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Usually the court was abuzz with whispers pertaining to rumors about cases being heard that day, the latest gossip about whose son was marrying whose daughter and how that was so scandalous, the garments that others were wearing and whether or not they made their owners look like paupers or braggarts, and other topics that served to keep the nobility amused when the actual business going on didn't have anything to do with them. On that day, however, no one so much as made a peep as they cleared a path for Aragorn and Legolas, bowing to their monarchs as the couple walked together to their thrones in a stately manner. The prince could swear he heard many of their hearts beating fast, and Thranduil, Elladan, and Elrohir – standing close to the base of the thrones with the rest of the extended family, minus the children – knew that's exactly what they were hearing.
The royal couple was determined not to give anyone anything to talk about, save how remarkably well they handled themselves on that difficult day. There would be no basis for accusations and rumors of decisions based on revenge, nor any questions about how much far leniency would and would not be extended for certain crimes. The Man and elf exchanged a look as they sat down before turning their attention to the court. "You may rise," Aragorn announced to the people, who obeyed.
'I can do this,' he mentally prepared himself. 'I just have to follow the procedures established for trials. That should be easy, right? I did create any of them.' Bracing himself, he gestured in a regal manner to the guard that was standing watch over the door where the fallen lord awaited on the other side. "Guard," he said, pleased when he found he sounded much calmer than he felt, "we are ready to proceed. Is the prisoner ready to answer to the throne and the court about the charges against him?"
"Yes, King Elessar," replied the guard as he fought down a malicious grin. That would have been his answer if Tanondor was curled up in the fetal position, crying. The insane Man hadn't given his victims any time to prepare for his attacks and it was only right to want to return the favor. Sadly (from the guard's perspective) the prison was prepared.
Bowing deeply and rising once more, the guard threw open the door to reveal Tanondor. The former lord's fall from grace was certainly evident in his undignified appearance. Gone were the expensive and grand garments of a nobleman; those had been taken away from him almost immediately and replaced with the same type of coarse, dull tunics that all prisoners wore. His boots had been replaced in a similar manner with light shoes that kept his feet warm enough but would offer him no help if he tried to kick someone or attempted to make an escape. Not that any such attempt would be successful – his hands were securely bound, not cruelly tight but not gently done either, and no less than six guards flanked him as he walked to the throne.
Yet despite all of this humiliation Tanondor still held his head high. He was a proud creature, after all, and while he had a few regrets concerning some unwanted and unintended outcomes of his schemes that was more because it caused him so much trouble than because he that it was unjustified. All of his scheming had been for a very good reason and he would have done it all again if he had any hope they would work out in his second attempt.
Aragorn noticed how Legolas' hands gripped the arms of his throne so tightly his knuckles turned white as Tanondor looked him in the eyes and smiled. The impulsive part of the Man wanted to leap from his seat and pummel the accused for even daring to look at his husband with that self-righteous smirk on his face, but instead took some comfort in knowing that his restraint would end up punishing the former lord even more in the end. "Tanondor," he said in a deliberate tone, emphasizing how he was no longer using the title of 'lord' for that Man. "A Man in your position has little to smile about."
"I was just pleased to see how very well your beloved husband has recovered from all of the traumatic events in his life as of late," said Tanondor with ease, for he no longer feared the king's reaction. He already knew his fate and saw no reason to be on his best behavior anymore. "One would think having a miscarriage meant nothing to him at all."
"One would be wrong," said Legolas in an even, controlled tone that could freeze blood in someone's veins.
"Now is not the time for your observations, Tanondor," Aragorn told him tightly. "You stand before the thrones of the king and prince consort of Gondor accused of numerous heinous crimes. Let it be known that Tanondor, former lord of Gondor, has been charged with torturing his wife, tormenting the servants of his household, trespassing in the royal quarters of the citadel of Gondor, terrorizing the royal family of Gondor, maliciously terrorizing Princess Laurelin Telcontar, theft, attacking Prince Eldarion Telcontar on two separate occasions, kidnapping four children who are also members of the royal family of Gondor, cruelly murdering Lord Eärnil, nobleman and advisor of the king of Gondor, and directly causing the death of Princess Aredhel Telcontar. How do you respond?"
"Is there any response that would move you to spare my life?" asked Tanondor pointedly. He looked from the cold outrage in Legolas' expression to the utter lack of pity in Aragorn's and sighed. "I didn't think there would be."
"Then you wish to give no answer?" asked Aragorn in a clipped tone.
Tanondor squared his shoulders and jutted his chin defiantly. "I did not say that," he replied haughtily. "I will not die without telling my side of the story. I just haven't figured out on which charge to begin – unless my king expects me to answer to all of them at once, of course."
"Answer them however you want," Aragorn ordered him in a chilly voice. He would not give the former lord the pleasure of knowing just how much he got to him. "I only expect you not to waste our time. You have the right to make your case but not to turn the court into your own personal stage. If you need any guidance, however, I will suggest starting at the beginning with the first of the charges."
"Very well then," said Tanondor. "My wife and servants are my own business. They belong to me to use however I want whenever I want. That right is enjoyed by everyone here including you, King Elessar; for my good prince consort ended up pregnant so soon after giving birth to twins even though I overheard him specifically telling you that he did not wish to be in such a condition." His eyes shifted to Legolas and felt a thrill at knowing how the elf and Man would wonder about at what point during his eavesdropping and spying he'd heard that. "I do not question how others exercise that right and I should not have to answer to you or anyone else about what I do with what belongs to me."
"You cut off your wife's finger," stated Legolas, his disgust profound. "She was your life partner and a person, not a possession that supplied you with whatever you felt you needed; and while you may be master of your household it is not within your rights or anyone else's to own another person, be they spouse or servants. The laws of Gondor protect all from inhumane treatment regardless of social standing. You were on the Advisors' Council, Tanondor – surely you know the law."
The former lord simply snarled his upper lip in disdain. "I know," he declared smugly, "but that doesn't mean I agree with it."
"It is not for you to decide which laws are worth following," said Aragorn darkly. "Even I am not permitted to do that. But that does not begin to answer all of the charges made against you; even if I was a thoughtless and cruel tyrant who believed that a person has the right to treat the members of his household in whatever way he chooses most of your crimes were against people outside of it."
"Are you referring to how I supposedly terrorized you and your family?" smirked Tanondor. "Now really, since when is helping people with new infants and giving them flowers a crime? It is well known that Prince Legolas likes things that grow; surely you wouldn't punish someone for giving you a flower that displeases you, my good prince?"
Even a fool would know what Tanondor was trying to do and Legolas was no fool: he was attempting to bate him, provoke Aragorn by speaking about and to him directly, or both – anything that would make one of them respond in a less-than-controlled manner and perhaps cast a more favorable light on him. The prince understood his game and he refused to give him the satisfaction of reacting like he wanted him to. "Flowers don't displease me," said the elf. "Only the manner in which they are presented will do that, especially when someone uses a beautiful plant to threaten the people I love. You trespassed into Princess Laurelin's bedchamber to leave her flowers – along with a necklace and the aforementioned finger. Was that not a threat, Tanondor?"
"I didn't know how else to get your attention," replied Tanondor smoothly.
"You mean you didn't know how else to get the members of the royal family right where you wanted them," corrected Aragorn frostily. "You had a similar reason for trespassing into Prince Eldarion's bedchamber and attacking him for the first time with a hunting knife you stole from him. Do you deny this?"
"He is an impertinent boy," spat out Tanondor, his disgust coming through his smooth façade for the first time. Eldarion had turned out to be the downfall of his plans and his biggest regret of all was not killing him in that bedchamber before the young prince could wreak his havoc. "Perhaps if you hadn't forgotten how he almost killed your husband at birth you might have seen fit to give him more…effective punishments that would actually teach him a lesson."
Aragorn's nostrils flared slightly, but not quite for the reason that Tanondor thought why. "An infant cannot control the circumstances of his birth," he defended his son. "Only when they are out of the womb and aware of the difference between right and wrong should they be held accountable for almost – or actually – killing someone."
"You jump ahead in my accusations, King Elessar," admonished Tanondor brazenly. "First I must answer to the so-called kidnapping, to which I say I am innocent. I admit I took the prince and princesses but it was not what anyone would call kidnapping. I was not asking for a ransom or making them leave their privileged lives for something that would debase them. They were safe in my care; I would not have harmed them in the least."
That couldn't have happened any better if the royal couple had planned it. "King Elessar," spoke up Legolas, happy to take advantage of the opening Tanondor had presented them. "There is a witness waiting to be allowed before in the court who has much to say on this particular matter. Will you permit him to enter?" With a brief nod from Aragorn the elf gave Tanondor a look that was almost calculating in its serenity and called out: "Make way for Prince Eldarion Telcontar of Gondor!"
Every head in that throne room whipped around to watch as the main doors opened to reveal Eldarion. Instantly whispers flew around about his proudly majestic stance; the mature air that surrounded him as he walked through the crowd; and the indifferent way he ignored the way Tanondor peevishly glared at him as he passed by him on his way to his parents' side. This was not the boy who squirmed uncomfortably in his formal garments and made childish faces and gestures at people who made him angry. The young prince had grown-up seemingly overnight and was handling the stressful situation in a most admirable way. In his every move and expression the people could see the good man he was becoming and the great king he would be.
"Let it be known that the king recognizes the witness, Prince Eldarion," announced Aragorn formally. 'Barely,' he added to himself wistfully as he took a second to regard the young man who used to be his little boy. "Prince Eldarion, Tanondor testifies that you and your sisters were safe in his care and that he would not have harmed you. Do you have any response to that?"
"Only that it is an outright and outrageous lie," replied Eldarion. He was glad he had to make his voice strong enough to project it so everyone there could hear him; otherwise he wouldn't have been able to keep it from shaking. There was something terrifying about being so close to his abductor again even though he knew the Man couldn't harm him, but he couldn't let that stop him from protecting his sisters by directly contradicting Tanondor's falsehoods. "He told me and my sister Princess Laurelin that he was going to cut the tips of our ears off – to make us not be half-elves anymore, he claimed. When I told him I wouldn't allow that to happen he attacked me for the second time – with the same hunting knife, I might add – and threatened not only to not give me anything to ease my pain once he succeeded but also to make me watch as he mutilated my younger sisters in the same manner."
Aragorn and Legolas had known about the details of Tanondor's second attack, but since none of them could bear repeating them until now the rest of the family had not. Sam, Merry, and Pippin's body language turned threatening; Faramir sucked in a breath and held a furious Eowyn's hand as Findowyn gaped at Eldarion; Elladan and Elrohir were filled with white-hot wrath; and Gimli, instinctively clutching his axe, and Thranduil, automatically reaching for his knife, managed somehow to restrain each other. "He didn't get any of our ears, I'm happy to say," continued Eldarion grimly. "But he got very close to mine."
A gasp rose from the crowd as Eldarion tilted his head to reveal the scar left behind by the knife blow Tanondor had gotten in during their struggle. It wasn't unseemly or even all that noticeable unless it was pointed out but it was still a physical reminder of what the insane Man had tried to do and Eldarion would have it for the rest of his life. "You are proven a liar, Tanondor," said Aragorn, a slight furious tremble making its way into his voice as he was forced to face once again how close his son had come to losing the tips of his ears and possibly his life. "Even you cannot claim that you could leave such a mark without harming him."
"He deserved it," declared Tanondor bluntly and maliciously. He sneered at the boy but was not given the pleasure of seeing him react. "Let that mark always remind you of me."
"Your true nature is finally emerging for all to see," noted Legolas in a slightly mocking tone as he inwardly seethed. "Perhaps now you can answer to the most heinous of all your crimes with nothing but the utmost truthfulness. What say you to Lord Eärnil and Princess Aredhel's deaths?"
Tanondor hadn't expected the king and prince to allow their son to be there, let alone speak against him, and he hadn't had enough time to regain his control before having to face the most difficult of the charges to justify. "I never meant for anyone to die," he protested, his voice finally cracking a bit under the pressure. "One of my biggest regrets is that taking Lord Eärnil's life became necessary. I mourn him as much and more than anyone else – he was a good friend for many years" –
"If that is how you treat your friends," Legolas couldn't help interjecting, "I pity the poor souls you count among your enemies. I doubt his family will have much use for your condolences and mourning."
"I am a civilized Man," insisted Tanondor, growing hotter and angrier by the moment. "I did not relish the feeling of his blood on my hands! I'd hoped that he wouldn't make killing him necessary but he was trying to hinder me from carrying out my plan. Even then I apologized to him first."
"I'm sure he was gratified by that, if that's even the truth," remarked Aragorn with dry sarcasm. "It's a shame that Princess Aredhel didn't receive the same courtesy."
"Perhaps she would have had no need for it if Prince Legolas hadn't forgotten that it is the job of other people to charge to the prince and princesses' rescue!" retorted the former lord as the last of his resolve to shame and humiliate the royal couple through his calm demeanor shattered. "Both of you should have remembered that certain activities can result in making a baby and taken the necessary precautions to care for a baby who couldn't care for herself. Perhaps you should have taken more time between pregnancies in the first place!"
"Watch your tongue," warned Aragorn.
"Why?" demanded Tanondor spitefully. "I'm about to lose it anyway. Before that happens, however, let it be known that I did everything I am accused of doing and I do not apologize for any of it! It was all justifiable by another crime that happened in this very room over thirteen years ago by King Elessar and Prince Legolas themselves."
He pointed a condemning finger in their direction. "On that day I stood in this court and watched as you robbed a dear, beautiful, and perfect woman of everything she knew because of the wrongdoings of her husband and daughter," he accused. "I was only restoring to the Lady Almarian what was rightfully hers and finally giving her the justice that had been denied to her for so long."
He didn't know it yet but Tanondor had just destroyed any defense he had left. It was all Aragorn could do not to betray this as he gestured to the same guard who had let Tanondor in at the beginning of the hearing. The guard had to duck his head to hide his smirk as he approached his king and handed him a rolled up piece of parchment. "You claim this was all done on the Lady Almarian's behalf?" asked Aragorn.
"What is that?" demanded Tanondor, desperately eying the message.
"I'll take that as a yes," said Aragorn in a tone that only hinted at how maliciously pleased he was. "You have claimed that from the start, with so much fervor that the prince consort and I felt compelled to send a party of guards from Minas Tirith to Dol Amroth to hear what she had to say about your efforts. She answered all of their questions to their satisfaction and sent this letter to me and my husband."
Aragorn saw Tanondor twitch at being in the same vicinity of something from the lady. "In it she declares she knew nothing about your intentions or actions and expresses her distress and disdain that you would do such things – 'abominable' is the word she used to describe them – on her behalf," said Aragorn as he skimmed the letter. He couldn't help but feel sorry for the woman, whom convinced even the most suspicious guards and the best judges of character of her innocence; she had the unfortunate gift of attracting less-than-desirable Men. "She also shares a rather enlightening story about finding you going through her belongings before she left Minas Tirith with Lord Cirion. She says she didn't realize until later that her necklace with her husband's family crest was missing but, as she never wanted to have contact with you again, she dropped the matter – that solves the mystery of where the necklace you left for the princess came from. She concludes by saying that she doesn't care what happens to you today as long as she no longer has to worry about you bothering her. What say you now, Tanondor?"
"You filthy liar," spat out Tanondor, lunging forward suddenly. His many guards easily and enthusiastically held him back. "You would do and say anything to condemn me! You think you're so special, don't you, Strider? You have your adoring spouse to fulfill your every need and a household full of children while I have none of those! I deserve to have Lady Almarian and she knows it! Do you understand me? Lady Almarian is mine and nothing you, your husband, or your brat of a son do will change that!"
"Enough," ordered Aragorn. "You have answered to the charges and everything you've said has only served to prove your guilt. Furthermore, you have now demonstrated that no one is safe from your delusions. I will not have you be a threat to my family or my people anymore. As punishment for your numerous terrible crimes, not the least of which are two murders, and to protect Gondor and Middle-earth from your insanity I hereby sentence you to death by beheading with a sword to be carried out at dawn tomorrow. Take the prisoner back to the dungeons and have those in charge of him find out his last meal requests and final wishes."
Eldarion finally broke down and flung himself into Legolas' arms, burying his face in his ada's neck so that he wouldn't have to look at Tanondor as the guards dragged the condemned Man away. "You did wonderfully," Legolas told him encouragingly. "I'm so very proud of you, ion nin."
"We both are," added Aragorn, leaning over and putting his arm across Eldarion's back.
"I don't want to go tomorrow," whispered Eldarion. "I know I should be grown up enough to go but I don't want to."
One day Eldarion would be king and would have to go to any execution he ordered, like Aragorn would have to at down the next day. One day he would be an adult member of the royal family and have to attend, like Legolas would do when he stood by his husband's side at tomorrow's dawn. But while Eldarion was growing up he was not quite done being the couple's little boy yet. "You don't have to," Aragorn assured him as Legolas held him tighter. "Your part in his life is over now, Eldarion. That Man is now in your past."
To be concluded…
A/N: Yes, the next chapter will be the last. I'm sorry this story's a little shorter than the first two, but it feels right to end it now.
A/N: The type of execution Aragorn ordered is actually fairly humane, as far as executions go. A sword takes off the head pretty cleanly with one blow while an axe can take several. This was the type of beheading that one of King Henry VIII's wives requested and received.