Disclaimer: I don't own anything of the Lord of the Rings.
Note: Thanks for the reviews. Let's begin.
Aragorn walked through the many corridors until he came to his office. He took a moment to rest against the door before he opened it and stepped inside. He shook himself and stared at the warm fire burning merrily in the fireplace. Walking over he stopped in front of the fireplace and sank down upon his knees, staring into it.
He felt his hands begin to warm up but the fire could not melt the chills in his soul. He shivered when he could still clearly remember the fight he had with Eldarion. Through they had made up; Aragorn knew he had not forgotten the fight. The words that raced through his memory brought him such pain Aragorn knew it would take him a long time to recover.
He sniffled briefly and pulled out a handkerchief. He blew his nose and for a moment cursed the winter. He looked up when the door opened and Faramir popped his head in. "Is everything alright, Aragorn?" The young man asked concerned.
"Yes, I just have a small cold, which is all." Aragorn smiled friendly. He wished to be alone with his pain now but Faramir entered. As the steward sat down in a chair, Aragorn turned to him but managed to hide to sigh that passed his lips. "You seemed in need of some other company other then Eldarion." Faramir eventually answered, casting a quick look at Aragorn.
"I sat up with Eldarion until he slept after that I left. I cannot bear his company right now." Aragorn answered truthfully, pulling his knees up and resting his arms on them. "Is it because of what he has said?" Faramir asked carefully.
"Yes and no. I cannot forget what he has said to me and these words cut deep within me. But I cannot bear his company for every time I look at him I see Arwen and, I am once more reminded of his words." Aragorn stared into the fire and asked. "Why are you not with Eowyn and your own children now?"
"Because I saw my friend pass and I thought he would need me more then my wife and children." Faramir answered truthfully. "I am sure you friend does." Aragorn answered sadly. "You can speak to me about anything, Aragorn. I will just sit here and listen and not pass judgement."
"I cannot bear the thought of my own son condemning me. I have done nothing to him that would make him behave in such a manner. I have made my mistakes and paid for them." Aragorn stared into the fire as the pain became visible in his face. "Eldarion does not understand the sacrifices you made, neither do I." Faramir softly responded.
"But he seemed to understand, or so I thought until yesterday. Why did he not become angry at me sooner?" Aragorn cried out, looking at Faramir. "I do not know. Those are questions you need to ask him yourself." Faramir shuddered.
"But what if he does not wish to answer them?" Aragorn looked back into the fireplace and for a moment he sounded younger then Faramir. "Then you will know." Faramir said simply, reaching over to place a gentle hand upon Aragorn's shoulder.
"I always imagined my life different. I thought I would be married, one way or the other and if I had children I would be raising them with someone else, not alone and not failing at it." Aragorn blinked into the fire as Faramir slid out of the chair. "You have not failed, Aragorn. Get it out of your head and stop feeling sad for yourself. It does not work for a king."
The older man's eyes rose to meet Faramir's and Aragorn asked in a mocking voice. "You think I like this, steward? To feel this broken inside, to have my own son think I forfeited his life for a brief time of pleasure that makes my heart weep now?"
"No, Aragorn, you do not like it but you do not regret it either." Faramir answered boldly as Aragorn's eyes bore into his. "What do you mean?" The king asked in shock. "You have never regretted the choices you make. You say you do but deep down in your heart, you would not change them. For they cannot be changed by your will for you would loose Legolas or you would hurt Arwen and loose all the love from your foster family. Both of which you needed and need to survive." Faramir rested a hand upon the other man's cheek.
"But they will soon be utterly beyond my grasp." Aragorn averted his eyes until Faramir forced him to look back. "As you will pass utterly beyond Eldarion's grasp soon. But tell me, truthfully, from one friend to the other; did you ever regret the choice you made?"
Aragorn took a long moment until he finally answered. "No, I do not. I have never regretted the choice for I would do it all again, for just one small change with Legolas, just one small taste of happiness."
The king closed his burning eyes as the truth hit him. The truth he had known all along and had hid in his heart. "Those few months with him were the happiest in my whole life. I pull hope out of it each and every day. I do not know how long I can survive this darkness, Faramir. The only light in the darkness was Eldarion but since we have quarrelled, I cannot see that light anymore."
He felt the hushing voice as Faramir came closer to sit down next to him. "Eldarion said you wept yesterday all the while singing about the elves passing into the west. Who is passing into the West, Aragorn? Who is leaving you?" The steward dropped an arm around his shoulders in comfort.
"Glorfindel and Celeborn are setting sail next summer. I received the news yesterday after Eldarion and I fought." Aragorn did not give way to tears as he would have done but the pain began to overwhelm him. Slowly he released his breathing, allowing the pain to sink again.
"But you were not that close to them. I mean they are not your relatives." Faramir softly said. "Glorfindel raised me as well as Elrond did. If nothing, he was a good friend. And lord Celeborn, he was my grandfather, for a time. I love them, Faramir and it feels like you are losing your parents only I know that they still live but I shall never see them again."
"But your brothers remain?" Faramir asked. "Yes, but they are busy and I cannot ask for them to remain her until I die, It is not fair to them." Aragorn sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "I can forgive Eldarion for what he said to me for it was not his place to say these things. But I cannot forget what he has said to me or the fact that he knew but deliberately said those things anyway."
"But he is young; surely you cannot expect him to know these things." Faramir suggested softly. "He is young true, but he has the wisdom of the elves and if they know, so should he. He had known me for his whole life and he has known about this pain, so that is why I cannot forget."
"And you should not. But I am still sorry for what I said, Atar." Eldarion's voice came as the boy walked inside. "I still care deeply for you and it will not change our relationship because of what I said. I still love you and I always will." The boy took a wheezing breath.
Aragorn merely held out his other arm and Eldarion sank down beside him, burying his face into the king's side. Faramir looked at them with a fond smile and he would to the end of his days, never forget this sight.
Hope you liked it. I need ideas badly and I need cheering up, so please review.
