Lost-Elf : Nope, that is just not me. He he he…

Yami Tai : Err…I like to be Queen better. I get to wear beautiful dresses! LOL!

Karriya The trailer is in Window format. I just sent it to you, and I hope you've received it. Now, to answer your question; No, she's not a Haradrim.

Leralonde The new Legolas-Aragorn adventure? Come to think of it, yeah, I do have one in mind. But the plotline is still blurry.

Sailor-Elf : Is Stargate-SG1 still shown on tv? To tell you the truth, I like the movie-version better.

Keluin Lossehilin Unlike you, I'd rather be married to Thranduil! Har! Har!

Deana Yep. The entire male population has big problems. Serve them right!

Ceyxa I know what you mean. I never directly told my dad or my mom that I hate them, but I avoided speaking to them once, and that caused them great hurt. I guess action do speak louder than words. I've sworn never to do that ever again.

Rutu Aragorn is Darion's father, and still you asked me where the boy gets his stubbornness from? Tsk. Tsk. It's all in the genes, mate. It's all in the genes. Now that you mention it, yeah, there's no big difference between the father and son's respective situations, isn't it? LOL! Oh, go ahead. Use Kel as your theatre thingie (And by the time you read this, you might have returned from the competition already, so how did it go?). For you, mellon, I declare September 1st as Keldarion's birthday!

Seylin I'm thinking of writing a 'virgin Legolas' story. What say you? (sniggers)

Kel He he he. Keep on blabbering, mate!

Beginning-end-314 : I know, I got loads of stories to write. But Eldarion's wenching problem? Err…I'll think about it. I don't know if it's gonna be a PG (but it's quite lewd) or NC-17 (but Darion is just 15)!

Jamie Thank you so much. It's readers like you that gives me the ideas to come out with all different kinds of plots.

AragornLegolas There'll be no war in this one, but I promise that there's going to be plentiful of battle scenes. I'm all geared up!

I'm so glad that you all like little Enelya! As we all know, Tolkien had not mention the names of Aragorn's three daughters, so I had to discuss with my fellow Tolkien lovers before we came out with Enelya, Nessa and Elanor. Hmm. My plot bunnies are jumping up and down every time I mention Enelya's name. Wonder what's wrong with them?

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Keldarion glanced at his brother, muttering through the corner of his mouth, "Now you understand why I fear to have a baby?"

"Not now, blockhead," Legolas whispered back. With a soft sigh, he silently approached his friend and sat next to him. Aragorn looked up, his face a myriad of emotions, which included pain and guilt.

Legolas grasped the man's shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "Darion doesn't hate you, Estel."

Aragorn chuckled without humor. "That boy refused to speak to me for days after I punished him for that act in the stable, and then he just up and disappeared, leaving a note addressed only to his mother. And you still think he doesn't hate me?"

"He feels anger at you, not hatred. There's a difference." Keldarion took a seat on the man's other side. "Take my brother here, for example. He always got on the wrong side of our father. They fought constantly like cats and dogs, giving everyone else the mother of all headaches—especially me."

Legolas sent his brother a dirty look. "What kind of example is that?"

"A good one. Stop interrupting me, there's more," Keldarion firmly said. "Now, where was I…? Oh, Right. Cats and dogs. Legolas and our father are so very much alike that they couldn't even see their differences at first. But in the end, after they spent time thinking about them, everything turned out well. Then they grew to love and respect each other more and more each day.

"Now, what I believe here, Estel, is that your son loves you greatly, and very close to worshipping you. He knows all about the great adventures you've gone through when you were his age, and that's what he desires so much—to be just like you. He wants your approval and for you to be proud of him."

Aragorn scoffed half-heartedly. "I am proud of him. He didn't need to tumble in the hay with a wench just to prove his point!"

"Yes, well, I agree with you that his method was a bit inappropriate," Legolas said, wincing slightly.

Keldarion grinned as he added, "To you, maybe."

Aragorn and Arwen stared uncomprehendingly as Legolas glared daggers at his brother accompanied by a low hiss, "Shut up."

Smiling, the elder elf turned his full attention back on the king of Gondor. "Of course, you're proud of your son, Estel. So is every father on this earth if he has a fine son like that. The only question is, does Eldarion know?"

The man grew thoughtful. He looked at his wife who sat on another couch across from them.

"I always told him that I love him. But I never told him that I'm proud of him, did I?" he asked her quietly.

Arwen leaned over and clasped his clenched fist in her graceful hands. "You are a very busy man, my dear. You have got lots of things on your mind."

"But that is not an excuse to be ignorant of my son's true feelings." Aragorn sighed, raking a hand through his hair. His gaze flew across the room and caught the large painting of Eldarion at seven years of age, hanging on the wall. Legolas had done that painting, and the elf's talented hands had perfectly depicted the boy's sparkling blue eyes and somewhat dreamy expression on his fair adorable face; his clothes a bit rumpled, his hair mussed—a sure sign that he had recently been wild at play.

The painting showed Eldarion at the most joyful period of his life. It was the time when this pampered little prince was never denied anything. He romped freely about like a puppy—always laughing, always up to mischief. But when he was thirteen years old, his life had taken a drastic turn.

An assassination attempt on the king when he was making his monthly tour of his kingdom had gone awry. The arrow that was meant for Aragorn had struck his son riding next to him instead, causing the boy to nearly bleed to death. If not for his father's healing knowledge, Eldarion would have died that day. To say that the king was upset about the incident was an understatement. In fact, he was constantly in fear for his heir's life and found it hard to trust Eldarion without guardsmen surrounding him.

Every measure was taken to confirm the prince's safety. He was not allowed to leave his chamber unescorted, confined within the walls of the citadel, no longer free to romp about like he used to. Even his companions were carefully chosen for him by his parents. Naturally, it had not taken him long to detest this new arrangement.

A creature of open space, just like his sire, Eldarion had rebelled. He would hide from his guards and attempt to find his own companions. He did all the don'ts and detested all the dos. Bright and eager to learn, he loved it during sword training and classes of strategy and warfare, but completely had no patience on the subject of philosophy. When his boredom was at maximum, he would sneak out into town for some exploration, giving his father no small amount of displeasure.

Hence, the father and son constantly butted heads in disagreement. Aragorn would punish Eldarion for his misbehavior, Eldarion would go sulking somewhere, Aragorn would order more eyes upon his son, Eldarion would break away, and the whole process would start all over again!

Deep down, Aragorn knew that he was being too overprotective with his son. He would balk at such constrains himself sometimes. Occasionally, he mourned the lost of his erstwhile freedom as a northern ranger—no more wandering into every nook and cranny of Middle-earth like he used to, no more jumping into one exploit after another, and no more slaying orcs and goblins for he had a large army to do that for him now. As a king, he was followed everywhere by a long trail of escorts and guardsmen and advisers and servants and…well, the list went on. To be honest, he resented the entire affair. Yet, when it came to his own children, he just couldn't help fixing the same annoying restrictions on them.

Sighing again, Aragorn leaned over and stared down at his feet. "I thought I've done my best for Darion. He is almost a man, yet I still treat him as I would a child."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Estel," Legolas advised. "My father still treats me as if I'm still in diapers."

"Come to think of it, yes, I think you still are," Keldarion laughed.

"You swine!" Growling, Legolas reached across Aragorn's back to whack his brother upside the head, and that caused the king to break up laughing, his mood restored.

"What's going on between you two?" Aragorn asked, his eyes twinkling with merriment for the first time in many days. "Is there something I should know about?"

"Well, there's something definitely wrong with Kel but I'll let you know all about it later," Legolas said with a warning glare towards his brother. "Now, let's get back to Eldarion. Where is the note he left you?"

"I keep it in my drawer. I'll go get it." Arwen rose and hurried off towards her chamber, the soft silk of her gown swirling gracefully about her legs.

"Oh, where are my manners?" Aragorn exclaimed, jumping to his feet. He went to pour the brothers a glass of wine each. "You just arrived, all traveled worn and thirsty, and I didn't even offer you to join our family dinner."

"That was kind of you, Estel. But we don't see you eating your meal," Keldarion said, nodding his thanks as he took the glass the man offered.

Aragorn shrugged. "I guess my mind was too focused on Darion. I mean, I keep asking myself; what did he have for dinner? What did he have for lunch? Or is he even alive to be able to eat, for that matter? Really, this starts giving me nightmares at night."

"Stop thinking the worst, brother. Come." Legolas pulled his friend back to the couch. "Now, have you told the twins about Darion?"

Aragorn's smile was weak. "Missives were sent to Rivendell, but no response has been received yet. I believe El and Ro have left home for an expedition deep into the Misty Mountains. Remember they once told us about it?"

The elves nodded as they recalled the conversation they had had with Elladan and Elrohir, Aragorn's foster brothers.

"Yes, I remember." Keldarion grinned. "Those two old fools are nuts."

"Yes, that's exactly what I told them." The king chuckled. "But those two old fools are exceptional trackers. I learned all the tricks from them, didn't I?"

He shook his head, dejectedly. "It would take some time for this news to reach the twins. By then, any trace of Darion will turn cold, before it disappears altogether. My men have searched every inch of this kingdom but found no clue to investigate further. The guards saw nothing, the servants heard nothing. Even his mother who he tells everything never expected he would go this far. Darion took no clothes with him, no money and no food. He only left us a note and a dead end."

Arwen appeared shortly after with the said note. Legolas took the folded paper from her and began to read silently,

Dearest, mother. By the time you read this, I'm already long gone. I know it's wrong to cause you hurt like this, but I need to leave this place before father and I start killing each other. He just can't see that I need some space to breathe, to be my own person. I'm not a baby anymore, but he makes me feel like I'm not yet weaned.

I know how our constant argument distresses you, mother, so I chose to leave, or things might get even worst than it already is. I want to prove to him that I'm not the hopeless little boy he still thinks I am. I'm a man now. Albeit too young, but a man nonetheless.

Mother, please don't worry about me. I know how to take care of myself. I promise to write to you and let you know how I fare. Send my love to my sisters, and tell my father not to find me. I'll come home when the right time arrives.

Love, Eldarion.

Legolas handed the letter to his brother after he finished reading. He gazed sympathetically at his friend's glum features. "Where did you find the note?"

"In my trinket box," Arwen replied, sitting beside her husband. "I don't know how long it had been there, but I found it hours after Darion failed to appear at dinner."

Aragorn squeezed his wife's hand. "I thought he was running off again with that wench, so I told the men to search everywhere for them both. Either Darion was very slick, or he had an accomplice to get through the gates. No one had even seen him. His guardians had thought he was still sulking inside his room, sleeping the whole day away."

Keldarion neatly folded the note before returning it to Arwen. He was frowning when he raised his wine glass back to his lips. "What punishment did you put upon him for that stunt with the girl?"

The king grimaced. He glanced briefly at his wife before answering, "It's…err…I guess it was not the right kind of punishment for a fifteen year old boy after all."

"What exactly did you do to him? Make him stood in a corner and gave him a long sermon until his ears turned red?" Legolas asked, smiling as he remembered the usual punishment he had received from his own father every time he had misbehaved.

"No, but I truly wish I did that." Aragorn looked mite uncomfortable. His jerkin felt a bit tight at the collar. "I turned him over my knee and spanked his bum."

The wine that Keldarion was sipping went down the wrong way, causing him to choke. Legolas' eyes bulged.

"You did what?" they both incredulously cried out.

"But he's as tall as you are!" Keldarion accepted a clean kerchief from Arwen to wipe the dribble off his chin.

"Aye. And quite as strong, too. Darion must be terribly embarrassed," Legolas added. "Estel, what were you thinking?"

"I wasn't thinking, that's the problem!" Aragorn groaned, burying his head in his hands. That was the second time he did that tonight. "I was so angry I nearly choked him. I never trained my son to be a…a…a bloody philanderer, for crying out loud! I trained him to be my heir!"

"Don't take this the wrong way, Estel, but most boys his age already feel the pull towards the other gender," Keldarion said in a soothing manner. "It's natural."

"I know that but…the stable?" Aragorn looked anguished as he raised his head. "Why the stable? Why behave like animals?"

"You mean you rather let him have it inside his room?" Legolas asked, half teasing.

The man glared. "Definitely not. He is a prince. He should know better. Besides, he's too young. He is completely ignorant of the girl's true intention. She might be taking advantage of him. She might want him only for his worth and title, not for what Darion is really inside as a person. Nobody knows where this girl came from. Why, she might even be a spy who is paid to lure our son away from us!"

"All right, Estel. We got your point there," Legolas hurriedly said, patting the flustered man's shoulder to placate him. "So, there is also the other possibility that Darion has been abducted."

At this, both Aragorn and Arwen turned pale with dread.

"Oh, no," Arwen gasped, her fist in her mouth. "You think that's what really happened to Darion? He is not running away and that someone had actually captured him? But what about the note he left? It's his handwriting."

"Someone might have forced him to write it, just to mislead us." Keldarion gazed at the stricken looking couple and smiled reassuringly. "But maybe Darion did run away, so don't worry too much. He can't go far, unless someone helps him."

"We will help find him for you," Legolas assured the king and queen. "But first we must figure out how a well-known crown prince of Gondor managed to leave the city walls without anyone noticing. How did he pass through the gates without anyone stopping him?"

"By not being himself," Keldarion stated, looking thoughtful.

Puzzled, Legolas turned to his brother. And then he smiled when he understood what Keldarion meant. "Right, he was in disguise. We all know that he didn't take his clothes with him. They were too fine and rich, very noticeable. But nobody would look twice at him if he wears the clothes of common decent people. We only need to know if he travels alone or with company. If there's some company with him, we need to find out who or what they are."

Aragorn's face slowly brightened at this. Now we have something to start with.

"I'll order the officers at the gates for a full report of every team and wagon leaving this city. We can narrow the list down and pinpoint the exact group which Darion is highly likely to blend in with."

The man rose and went out the door. They could hear him telling the guards to bring the gate officers to his audience, his voice firm and his back straight once more.

The king of Gondor was back in office.

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The boy lay moaning on the ground, next to the overturned cart. His eyes were closed, yet the sound of a girl screaming did not escape his ears.

With much difficulty, he raised his head and blinked, causing a violent wave of nausea to wash over him. Biting down his lower lip as he bore down the pain and discomfort, the boy looked around him in increasing horror.

The carnival troupe he had been traveling with had been reduced to slain bodies and raided wagons. The band of robbers that had blocked their way earlier was still hanging around following their cold-blooded plunder, searching through the rubbles for anything else of value. A hundred feet away, several of the men were laughing and jeering drunkenly as they crowded over something at their feet.

The girl's scream came again. The boy's face drained of all color as he realized what the men were doing to her.

Growling with rage, he staggered to his feet and ran towards the group. Injured and weaponless, he knew he had no chance against the burly ruffians, but he just couldn't let them hurt her anymore than she already was.

"Get off her!" he shouted, pushing through the unwashed sweat smelling bodies. "Enough! Leave her alone!"

Someone caught a fistful of his long dark hair, yanking his head backwards to keep him still.

"Well, well. What do we have here?" one of the men asked in amusement. He wore a patch over one eye, which gave him a sinister look. "Still alive, young one? And now trying to be a hero?"

Grimacing in agony, the boy threw a fist at him but the man quickly leaped away, laughing. And then, without warning, he aimed a kick towards the boy's belly with so much force that the youth doubled over, gasping for breath.

If not for the hands holding him upright, the boy would have fallen to the ground and curled into a ball. He whimpered from the acute pain still burning in his abdomen. "L…let her go…"

'Patch-eye' chuckled. "Did you hear that, guys? This boy wants us to free his girl. So very touching."

"Want me to kill him, boss?" One man was already pulling out his dagger. He pressed it against the boy's neck, drawing out some blood.

Patch-eye was thoughtful for a moment, staring at the boy's dirty yet handsome face.

"No, we take him with us," he decided shortly after. "He looks strong and healthy. He will bring us lots of money if we sell him to the slavers."

All the men smiled, murmuring in agreement. Amid the boy's protest and struggles, they began to tie him up before dumping him across the back of a horse.

Their task finished, they turned back to the girl. "What about her?"

Patch-eyed shrugged. "Just finish what we've started."

"No! Leave her alone!" The boy yelled, struggling with his bonds. Patch-eyed came near and clouted him viciously across the back of his head.

In the background, the girl screamed and screamed. Then she abruptly stopped.

And the boy heard nothing else.

TBC…