"Will you smile for me a little, Nauriel?" Aragorn let himself slip from Brego's saddle in relief after checking the next leg of the journey that Arwen and he were on today with a few soldiers, again without them noticing anything suspicious.

Through the open door, he leaned inside the carriage that Arwen had to use to accompany him today. When she didn't react, he just sat down next to her on the softly cushioned bench and tenderly put a hand on her cheek so that she would look at him. Signaling one of the men to pony Brego for a while, he closed the door so they could carry on. He was being needed in here much more right now.

The bad conscience because he had less and less time for his wife plagued him badly enough in his everyday life. When he entered his chambers at night recently, Arwen mostly was already asleep, or he was too tired to get up to anything.

Today, he had to see it in the daylight, with his own two eyes, how lousy Arwen really was doing. Now he was only all the more glad that he had put his foot down regarding this trip after Ranír had warned him so strongly about Arwen's condition not too long ago.

The first euphoria that the news of this so badly desired pregnancy had caused both of them, had quickly been replaced by disillusion. Feeling anticipation became indeed more difficult every day for a variety of reasons. In spite of the sun burning so relentlessly in the sky, Arwen was so pale that her skin was matching the color of the city walls. Her jet-black hair was lacking the usual gleam. Especially given her condition, it was also more than unsettling that she had still hadn't put on weight but on the contrary, had clearly lost some. Aragorn couldn't tell if it was the frequently occurring pregnancy symptoms like her continuous nausea or her bad headache, causing that, or of the burdening situation.

After they had worried, they would never be able to have a baby at all these last few months, it was almost unbearable for Arwen, having to hide it from everyone now, because of the Stewardaides, as if it was something wrong or shameful. And then the permanent court gossip about all kinds of possible sicknesses on top of that …

Aragorn, too, hated it that he couldn't proudly tell everyone that they were expecting. He had already had some parchment in his hand more than once, meaning to send letters to Imladris and Lórien, before remembering that messengers could be stopped by hostile soldiers. It just was too dangerous, no matter how much he would have loved to tell his foster father especially that the efforts of him and of Arwen's twin brothers to heal her back then, had been successful.

They would have to play this game until the day his wife wouldn't be able to hide it anymore. Until then, it was his job to support Arwen; and that was exactly his intention behind making this very day possible. But right now, he had to wonder if what he'd really done was exposing Arwen to additional strain. "Come on, mîl nín. Show me, I could make your day at least a little bit better. I miss your smile."

"Of course I'm happy. It's good to finally get out of my room again for a while." Arwen nuzzled into his touch for a moment but then started right looking out of the window again towards where the shapes of the woods of Lossarnach were starting to be visible. "I'm just worried that something will happen again."

"With so many soldiers flanking us, the Stewardaides wouldn't dare to attack." Aragorn hadn't been too happy with bringing along soldiers on this rather personal journey, no matter how short it would be, as they would actually have been needed in every corner of the realm so much more right now. The number of Gondor's warriors had been reduced shockingly due to the war, and Aragorn had only just painfully noticed the effects in the last few months.

Especially since most of his Dúnedain weren't available anymore since the last big battles, as they were busy making sure that everything was in order in Arnor, a land still plagued by many big difficulties, and trying to get the people there to finally make contact with their sister country again that they'd become so estranged to. An essential, unbelievably valuable work but especially on days like this, he was missing the courageous, experienced warriors of his folk even more than usual.

He wished he could have believed it himself what he was trying to tell Arwen again and again … that they were being completely safe. Unfortunately, lying had never been one of his strengths.

"There's a reason they rather work in secret. After all, they've already lost many men to our weapons, soldiers, and prisons." Slightly absently, Aragorn traced Arwen's bracelet with his fingertips, shuddering when he remembered that the first edition of this jewel could very well have cost his wife her life, and at their wedding of all times no less because the former smith had been one of his enemies.

"I can't just turn this feeling of though." It was clear, Arwen was trying her best to let herself fall into his nearness as she'd used to, but the tension in her shoulders remained. "But I can't stand being so idle for much longer either. I miss you so much …" She stopped herself, snorting impatiently at her own emotionality that had only got out of control so much after she'd surrendered her immortality in the war, and that the pregnancy just made worse. She visibly didn't want to waste what little time Aragorn could at least take for her today, with gloomy words.

"Forget it. It's alright, mîl nín, really. This, too, will pass. I just keep feeling so sick. The mood in the Citadel isn't exactly helping. For that alone, I'm really grateful for your surprise. I just hope we'll get there soon; the air is so thick in here. I'd rather ride by your side. I know," she interrupted Aragorn before he had even opened his mouth. "Too risky. I just miss the wind on my face. It feels like centuries since last I could stretch out my arms and dash over a meadow in a full gallop, not going anywhere." She stared at the guards' horses yearningly.

"But the wait will be worth it. It's been more than a hundred years since last I was in Lossarnach."

Glad that the light in his wife's pretty, deep blue eyes was back at least for the moment, Aragorn kissed her forehead and placed his hand on her belly, next to hers. "In this area, the war has fortunately not done as much damage as in countless other places. Many citizens fled here when Gondor's outer settlements were overrun. We will pass through many villages. I think it will be good for both of us, seeing at least a little bit of this realm's old beauty. In the woods, there's just as much deer as ever, and the flower fields should be in full bloom. Imloth Melui especially should be full of roses right now."

"The time is right, yeah." Arwen's smile grew even wider. She leaned towards the window again as if she hoped to be able to spot the first meadow already. "I've only ever been here in winter; there was nothing to see there then of course."

Relief spread in Aragorn. "As soon as we've left the settlements behind, we will take a break at the Erui. We can stay there all day if you want."

"Just the two of us? No advisors around? No one with anything important to report to you?" Arwen couldn't quite believe it yet that they should indeed, finally, have so much time for each other, especially right now that events in Gondor seemed to come thick and fast all the time.

"The guards will stay nearby of course, in case of emergency. But Verilas assured me that he can do without me for a few hours."

Aragorn laughed in surprise when Arwen wrapped her arms around his neck. "So a carriage has a few advantages after all, hm?" he mentioned with a grin, after taking the time for an intimate kiss. For that alone, the long debate last night had definitely been worth it.

If he was being honest, he knew Verilas hadn't been enthusiastic about this trip. Only when Aragorn had reminded him who it was that, just like Ranír, always told him so dutifully how badly the Queen was doing, he had gone silent. The reliable elderly man, who had already served Denethor so loyally and who was usually more on the rational side, was troubled just like Aragorn by having to see Arwen so depressed.

No, Aragorn had no plans to ride back any earlier than necessary. If something happened in the city, they would be able to inform him in a minimum of time. A little timeout wouldn't kill anyone.

Upon arrival at one of the far plains by the river then, Aragorn spent most of the time just watching his wife. With smiling at her as she tied colorful flowers into a necklace, with listening to her, the way he hadn't got a chance to do for a while, when she – finally with a beam on her face again – talked about how the progress of the pregnancy.

Arwen was just weaving the last flower into the arrangement, firmly nestled in Aragorn's arms, picturing how a little girl they might have would look like when she suddenly startled, almost at the same moment when his own posture tensed. They looked up in surprise, quickly recognizing a messenger of the city guard in the distance who spurred his horse forward quickly, to get to his King as fast as possible.

It wasn't one of the men who had accompanied them. Something else must be going on.

"Your Majesties …" The man bowed, out of breath, and took off the helmet of his armor to recover a bit from the heat that made the sweat run down his face in rivulets thanks to his heavy silver-blue armor. "Forgive me. I didn't plan to burden you with these things today of all times. But since you said, I should hurry, and …"

"Please." Aragorn didn't even try to keep his impatience out of his voice. Every relaxed mood vanished within seconds. The new arrival was the man that he had sent to Emyn Arnen under the utmost secrecy to warn Faramir that there were probably Stewardaides among his people who were maybe poisoning his food. As long as Mithrandir wasn't back from his travels, he had no concrete evidence, but he had at least wanted to let the Steward know.

The soldier didn't look like he'd succeeded with his mission this time though. He had already tried to talk to Faramir in private more than once. But he'd always returned to Minas Tirith in frustration because they either hadn't let him in or the Steward hadn't been around. By now, a lot of time had passed since the first suspicion, and the worry was growing every day.

"I think, he has a feeling you're just trying to control him. It took me three attempts before he was even listening to me properly. They never even let me see his wife in the first place, but I could catch the Steward just before he went for a ride with his soldiers. He denies the existence of any problems in his palace. He says he's checked each of the workers thoroughly."

"That's what I feared." Aragorn was already about to get up when his eyes fell on Arwen. Her disappointed expression tried to break his heart immediately.

He knelt down in front of her with a sigh. "Cancelling this trip is the last thing I want to do right now, but if my soldier's message has caused anger, I need to talk to Faramir immediately. There's enough of that between all of us already."

For a few seconds, Arwen stared at the flowers in her hands, then, with a sad nod, she let him pull her up. She wasn't blaming him for doing his job, she never would have, but she had to feel validated in her initial doubts now.

"I'll take you back first. I could never ride to South Ithilien in peace before you're safe." Aragorn pulled his wife into a close embrace, ignoring the soldier. Showing her that this development bothered him just as much as it did her was far more important to him than any etiquette. "I'll try to be back as quickly as possible, alright?"

Again, there was only a nod. Arwen breathed at least a quick kiss upon his neck before stepping back. When they hurried back to the carriage, she grabbed the flower necklace tighter and let her eyes roam over the endless widths of color for the last time. These few blossoms were all she would be able to take back into the limited space between the white walls that had become so depressing. They both wished, more than ever, that the Stewardaides could finally be defeated so that everything would be back to normal.

It frightened Aragorn that by now, he could only recall blurry memories of a time when there had been at least some stability left in his life. Unlimited happiness … That was something he had last felt before his mother had died. The thought of his parents who had lost their lives far too early only darkened his mind further. The two of them would never be allowed to meet their grandkid. His mother in particular would have adored the little one so much …

Only upon arrival at the carriage, he arduously banned this useless melancholy from his mind, and his thoughts turned to Faramir when he sat down on the bench next to Arwen.

He was only saying hasty good-byes to the men in the villages that they were passing through again, who were lining the streets to wave and smile at their royals. He explained that he would be back soon several times – and he meant it – but kept on demanding fast speed from his people.

A speed that was abruptly stopped again just a few settlements further though. It was a quite hidden village; with half of it built in a woodlot, it had hardly seen anything of the battles of the war. Which was why they hadn't even needed to stop there on the way here, and Aragorn was all the more surprised when the village leader came running to meet them with excited gestures of his arms at the limits already.

"Your Majesty." The stout man had to catch his breath first and wipe his reddened face before he could speak. "I didn't want to bother you earlier. I know how much you always have to do. But it's getting worse by the hour. The girl is dying, and the people are afraid. What if this spreads …? You have to calm the citizens down."

"I think, you have to calm down." Aragorn signaled Arwen to stay in the darkness of the carriage before leaving it and eying the man seriously. "What happened? What girl are you talking about?"

He worriedly let his eyes roam over the shapes of many small huts in the distance. They instinctively searched the wooden ground as well; after all the catastrophes since he'd taken office, he was trained to check if the whole thing was another trap of the Stewardaides who were possibly cowering in the undergrowth.

One of the soldiers noticed it and rode along the rows of trees with one of his mates, not even waiting for an order. Only when they shook their heads, Aragorn's posture relaxed a little.

"A sick child." The village leader took a restless look around to make sure that no one was listening and lowered his voice so much that he could hardly be heard. "First, I didn't want to believe it, but her skin looks so … I hope, the gods will not punish me for even saying it, but it looks like … If it's infectious, we all die, right? Please tell me, it's something else …"

"I can't say anything before I've seen the girl."

More anxious by the second, Aragorn called the captain of the guards over, instructing him to take the Queen's carriage a little bit deeper into the village, to take good care of Arwen and stay ready to depart anytime, in case the whole thing was a deception after all.

He quickly went inside once more, kneeling down in front of Arwen to take her hands. "If it possibly is infectious, you should better not get close to the child. It would be far too dangerous for the two of you." He quickly caressed her belly, then her cheek. "It's also possible that they're just trying to keep us away from the city though, together with part of the guard. Wait here just a little, alright? You'll be safe here. I'll send someone to Minas Tirith to get the healers as soon as I can tell what they'll need. We'll carry on in the afternoon at the latest."

"Alright." Arwen eyed the man walking back and forth outside. "If it's an ambush, he's not part of it in any case. He seems seriously at the end of his strength; he's afraid."

She pulled a vibrant red blossom from the flower necklace on her lap. "Here, give it to the little one and tell her that I'm thinking of her. Save her if you can, mîl nín, please …"

"I'll do everything in my power." Aragorn squeezed her hand firmly, gratefully. "I'll come to see if you need anything from time to time. If something should be wrong, tell the guards immediately."

"I'm in good hands, don't worry. You go where you're needed." Arwen watched him leave with an encouraging smile.

Beregond knew his Lord for many long decades. In all this time, it had happened only rarely that he had had to contradict Faramir. Not back then when they had both still served in the army of Minas Tirith and not since Beregond had been commanding the White Company at King Elessar's request either.

Unlike his brother in life, Faramir might not be someone who wanted to make a name for himself as a victorious warlord; there was nothing wrong with his tactical skills though. In the background, Faramir had already helped decide battles in the past the outcome of which had afterward been accredited to Boromir on principle. That was how Beregond had got to know and appreciate the young man; he would have trusted him with his life or the life of his people or his family, his kids anytime. He could count the few times when they hadn't agreed on something on the fingers of one hand.

Therefore, it was not surprising how upset Faramir always reacted if Beregond had to raise objections after all, as he did today. The Steward was having a really bad day when it came to strategies. And today of all times, he had not coordinated his plans with Beregond.

"No."

"No?" There was something almost like merriment in Faramir's pale eyes though the situation was really anything but amusing. "Is that a modern abbreviation for 'I'm filing a protest'?"

Beregond regarded the other soldiers with a sharp glance whereupon they stopped their horses to wait for the conversation to end. When Faramir was being busy with other things, Beregond was in full command of these people; they respected his decisions. Maybe it was time to trade on that unless he wanted to lose half of them in a completely rash campaign.

"The situation at Cair Andros is tense enough. If we enter there with a whole army …"

"Not an army, an escort," Faramir corrected him. "I tried to get in contact with the elven leader the usual way several times as you should know only too well. His answers were mostly too obscene to repeat them out loud."

"And you think it will get better if you just overwhelm the border guards of Cair Andros?"

Shaking his head, Beregond looked at the others, the majority of whom seemed to find their Lord's behavior strange too but didn't have the courage to speak up.

What had happened in Emyn Arnen in the last few months? Voices of hostility towards whole folks, again and again, and no one to stop this madness. It hadn't been a good idea, sending all the Rangers to Rohan to help people there out. These people knew Faramir better than the White Company. They would have reacted more sensitively and determinedly than the soldiers.

"I'll come with you to the camp; that will suffice. Or do you not trust my skills anymore?"

"I don't know whom I can trust at all at this point." Faramir answered faster than he could stop himself at least for the sake of their friendship. There was at least some bad conscience showing in his eyes immediately that recently had been surrounded far too often by deep lines of suspicion and bitterness when Beregond startled as if slapped. But he didn't apologize.

"I gave the elves every freedom so far. We've just seen the way they're repaying us. We don't wait."

"Maybe someone should notify the King," one of the other soldiers mentioned cautiously. "After all, he's the one who knows these people best. Maybe he can …"

"Did I stutter? I said, we don't wait." Faramir abruptly silenced that man as well. "We won't put even more burden on His Majesty before we know anything specific."

There was no time left for discussion anyway; they had reached the edge of Cair Andros.

They were immediately confronted with the heavily armed guards that had already rejected Faramir harshly during his last visit. Elves appearing completely out of nowhere so that the horses bolted, frightened, every time, disguised with the light uniform in several shades of green that Legolas had had made for all of his people.

Facing men in heavy armor when outnumbered made any words unnecessary. With a short nod, one of the elves sent his mate to the settlement and approached Faramir with one hand on the handle of his long dagger. "Is this the Gondorian way to ask for an audience now?"

"An audience is something, a King holds. I'm here to see a simple leader." With a short gesture, Faramir stopped the others who immediately got ready to fight too, seeing the elf's threatening gesture.

"Either the Prince finally deigns to leave his hideout for once, or my men will personally make sure that there are no hostile actions towards the realm of Gondor and Arnor being planned here as I sadly have to suspect right now. Then you don't need wargs to turn this settlement upside down anymore."

The allusion to an attack at the beginning of the year that had cost several elves their lives in these realms almost had the guard lose control. His hand already clenched around his weapon when his leader's warm voice sounded behind him.

"Return to your post. Secure the border. It wouldn't be the first time for the Stewardaides to take the chance when I turn my back to them."

Legolas acted more unimpressed by the sight of the soldiers than his people. He didn't even dismount his horse, looking exclusively at Faramir when he approached him, his hands calmly crossed on Arod's bright mane. "Whatever it is that is too urgent for you to request a conversation in writing: I don't want any armed riders in my settlements. Our people have seen enough suffering and blood."

"Right now, I don't want to enter your settlement anyway." That there was not a hint of aggression in Legolas' voice today, for the first time in a long while, only the tired resignation that he was meeting almost all Men with right now, apparently had Faramir's first aggression after the unsettling find in the woods earlier cool off. Maybe they could actually clear this thing up.

"On one of their trips, my men have found something that demands immediate clarification on your part. Therefore, I need to ask you to come with us. I gave you and your people my trust, even after you openly declared yourself my enemy. I hope that I'm wrong, wondering if I made a mistake."

"Trips." The answer was a cynical smile. "A flowery description for you controlling my every step. If you are looking for reasons to get rid of me, you should rather go see the King. I'm sure he can think of more than one. But …"

He spoke louder when Faramir already opened his mouth to object. "… since I have nothing to hide … Please, lead the way. Since I've been told though that it's been custom in Emyn Arnen for a while now that words are passed on differently from how they were heard, it's probably for the best if neither of us is going alone. What took you so long?"

It was plain to see that Faramir's mood dropped to zero when Arod was joined by a second horse, a red-haired rider steering it who was very well-known to them. A she-elf who did apologize politely for being late but didn't gift Faramir with even the shadow of the friendly smile she usually had to spare for him.

"Are you so afraid that I could command an unwarranted attack that you use healers as a shield?"

"Tauriel is the diplomat between us as you should have noticed," Legolas answered coolly.

"No, when it comes to watching my back, I learned a lot from the Stewardaides. Secondborn tend to see only what their eyes can make out. If I'm being threatened outside the gates of my own settlement, the arrows of my own people are ready to reach assassins before they can even make their first strike."

A murmur went through the lines of Faramir's people. Only upon taking a close look, the soldiers spotted blurred shapes of additional elves in the thick forest canopy of the trees who had watched the whole scene completely unnoticed.

Again, it was only Beregond's intervention that made Faramir swallow his first reaction of canceling the conversation immediately and force himself to close his eyes for a moment.

When he opened them again, the wish to find a peaceful solution for both Men and Elves alike had yielded to hopelessness at last. "Visitors in my land are pointing arrows at my chest, and you're sending a mother with her child to my home as a spy. I think you're right, Your Highness. There's indeed nothing for us to talk about left. If you will follow me now."

While the elves rode behind the group and Tauriel was whispering something to Legolas, Beregond tried to get Faramir to send a messenger to Minas Tirith once more, in vain.

He felt more helpless by the minute. This whole thing was going off course. The attentive eyes of soldiers who had defended their home from the worst enemies in the war had failed to see that a spirit threatening like the immortal soul of Sauron had managed to enter this country. Without even the need for one of their fruitless attempts at straight attack, the Stewardaides had not only made it to disturb the friendship between the folks, but also to cause the stable common realm rule by the King and his substitute to fail.