"You're supposed to be dead." Boromir stated, looking at his elleth friend with something akin to happiness, compassion and relief all mixed together in his dark orbs.

"I'm not dead." She told the man who responded by rolling his eyes.

Boromir snorted, "I can see that. I do have eyes." Faramir watched as his brother interacted with the elf woman in front of him in happiness. He knew all about the elleth, with his brother telling all on their journey before she had perished; well, supposedly perished.

Her grey eyes soon met his as a smile stretched across her lips before she glanced back at Boromir. His mind went into overdrive as he saw her approach; he knew that he was most likely gaping at the beauty of the Elf but he could not help it. She was indeed beautiful as all those that had had the pleasure of seeing her had said.

"You must be Faramir; the honourable one is what your brother called you," she held out her hand towards him. "I am Eleniel."

"I-um-ah-Captain Faramir at your service, m-my lady." He blushed bright red as the words stuttered out of him. Eleniel giggled at the embarrassed young man as did the others gathered in the citadel throne room.

She gripped his hand in hers with a bright smile, "It is nice to meet you, Captain Faramir. I hope we can become as close as I am with Boromir and the others."

Faramir smiled happily, he wasn't alone anymore. He would have a family that cared for him just as much as Boromir did. "I would like that miss Eleniel."

Boromir smiled again the sight of his brother smiling and actually being happy for once. It saddened him that their father could not be around to experience this but he was the one to bring Faramir down most times so everything felt much more lively now than they ever had since their mothers death when he was young.

Eleniel moved amongst the group of men, greeting those she didn't know and introducing herself while embracing the ones she did know. As soon as she was within reach, Aragorn had her hand in his immediately. She beamed at the man before leaning against his side. Boromir and Pippin smiled at the lovestruck pair when they were pulled away from their staring by Gandalf's voice.

"Frodo has passed beyond my sight." Gandalf specifically looked at the Fellowship members. "The darkness is deepening."

"If Sauron had the Ring we would know it." Aragorn spoke up from beside her, his hand tightening his grip on hers.

Gandalf started to pace around the room, his hands behind his back. "It's only a matter of time." he replied to the group. "He has suffered a defeat, yes, but behind the walls of Mordor our enemy is regrouping."

"Let him stay there. Let him rot! Why should we care?" Gimli guffawed from his perch on the steward of Gondor's chair, puffing on his pipe.

"Because ten thousand Orcs now stand between Frodo and Mount Doom." She spoke up, cutting the wizard off. "That is why we should care Gimli."

Gandalf sighed sadly, his face rather solemn as he looked at one of the walls of the hall as if looking out towards Mordor. "I've sent him to his death." The wizard said, immediately plunging the hall into a strained atmosphere.

Aragorn let go of her hand and strode towards the wizard saying, "No. There's still hope for Frodo. He needs time, and safe passage across the Plains of Gorgoroth."

"We can give him that."

"How?" Gimli asked the man.

Aragorn looked upon the group gathered in the hall. They were certainly a sight. There was an Istari. A dwarf. Two elves; one of which who was old enough to remember travelling from Valinor to Middle Earth while the other was much younger. Four men and a hobbit of the Shire.

"Draw out Sauron's armies. Empty his lands. Then we gather our full strength and march on the Black Gate." He answered.

Eleniel looked at Aragorn, seeing the determination and pure resolve in his blue eyes. Moving forward, she stood beside the man as she silently supported him and his idea.

"We cannot achieve victory through strength of arms." Eomer said as he stepped towards the Ranger and the Elf. He was not so eager to go on a suicide mission. His men had suffered enough in the last battle and now they wish to leave for another.

"Not for ourselves young Eomer but we can give Frodo his chance if we keep Sauron's Eye fixed upon us." Eleniel replied to him.

Eomer was going to argue against their plan more when he remembered the words of his late uncle. "we will meet them in battle nonetheless." The elleth stared at him as he fought over his thoughts when he looked at her and simply nodded at her words.

She looked back at the group and realised that the group had moved on while she was speaking with Eomer. Eleniel only just caught the end of Aragorn saying, "Oh, I think he will."

Eomer left the throne room to go and speak whit his men as did Faramir. Gradually everyone left until it was only Eleniel and Aragorn left behind, a heavy silence surrounding them.

"I know what it is that you intend to do." The elf said, her grief and fear creeping in. Aragorn lightly pulled away from her as he slowly but surely walked towards the pinnacle of their attention in the room.

The throne for the King of Gondor.

"Long have I ran from my fate," Aragorn approached the throne until he was about five short steps away from the throne. "I have been scared what feels like all my life. I have wished for nothing more than to be normal. To not be who I am. To not be a descendant of disgraced kings who have all fallen under the influence of the Ring."

Aragorn took a single step before he continued, "That day I thought that I was going to become like the rest of my ancestors; doomed to fail," he glanced back at her and smiled brightly. "But I let Frodo go. I looked at the Ring, reached out for it but just at the last second I realised that I did not want to be like them."

"I wanted to be me. Aragorn, son of Arathorn. The heir to the throne of Gondor. And a man that was able to withstand the Rings' influence." Eleniel could feel the waves of happiness and relief rolling off of this man, making her smile in happiness aswell.

"I am not scared anymore."

Aragorn walked the last few steps towards the throne until he was standing before it. He ran his fingers across the detailing son the chair with a hesitant hand that slowly became more sure.

"One day I hope to sit on this throne," he told her. "But only in a free Middle Earth will that be." Aragorn slowly moved away from the throne but still stood near it with his gaze upon it.

Eleniel moved towards him until she was at his side. Gently she rested her head against his arm which he immediately wrapped around her petite body. "Are you sure Aragorn?," she asked him. "Once he knows of your existence and that you have the sword, he will stop at nothing to make sure that you and your line end on that battlefield."

The man merely nodded at her before speaking up, "It is not I that I fear for," he answered before slowly turning towards her, his arms still tight around her. "The forces of Sauron have taken you from me once and I do not think I could survive a second time if you are taken from me again."

Eleniel sighed sadly before meeting his watery gaze. "I plead with you to stay here." Aragorn pleaded, knowing that she would refuse him and that he would not force her stay.

"Aragorn, I love you," she trailed off as she softly lifted her right hand to his face, caressing the hair growing on his chin. "But you know that I must come. It is my mission. My duty. I am needed on that battlefield."

A tear slipped down his cheek which she quickly caught with her thumb. Rushing forward, she pressed their foreheads together before lightly pecking him on the lips. "I just want to protect you." He told Eleniel.

She smiled softly at him before replying, "And I just want to protect you."

The Ranger pulled away from her with a shaky smile on his face before he leant forward and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. "Do not fear my love. I will be with you every step of the way." she whispered to him in his mind. A sigh escaped him as he pulled her back into his tight embrace.

*

Later that night, Aragorn returned to the citadel throne room and uncovered the Palantir. He flinched as the Eye blazed within the stone.

Reaching out, he grasped the Palantir in his hand and held it up, looking into it. "Long have you hunted me. Long have I eluded you. No more."

He held Andúril up towards the Palantir, flexing it subtly. "Behold the sword of Elendil."

An image of Sauron in his armour appeared in the Palantir, followed by a depiction of fire and then the sounds of Eleniel's screams. Fear grew in Aragorn as the screams soon turned into words. Each word begging and pleading for him.

He hastily dropped the Palantir as Sauron laughed at him. Aragorn hurriedly rushed out of the room, down several hallways til he was in front of the door to his own room. Rushing inside, Aragorn sighed in relief when he saw the rising chest of the body that rested on his bed. He swiftly climbed in beside the elleth and pulled her tightly into his arms, almost as if he could protect her just by holding her.

She groaned in her sleep before she moved closer to him, nuzzled into his chest and then pressed a soft kiss above his pounding heart. The sound of her soft breathing calmed him and soon pulled him to sleep.

Sauron may think he will take Eleniel away from him again. But Aragorn would not allow that to happen.

Not again.

*

Um hi? Please don't hate me lol but everything has been so crazy lately especially with COVID-19 and just life in general. I hope all of you are happy and safe. Please check on your friends and loved ones during these trying times. If you find any mistakes then I'm sorry?

Anyways have fun reading xxx