Disclaimer: I do not own Legolas, Aragorn, or any of the other characters, items, or places that you recognize. Just borrowing, and no money shall be made by it. All I'm getting out of this is enjoyment, and perhaps a review or two.

Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who read the first chapter. I'm over the moon to see that several of you have even decided to favourite this story or become a follower of it. I also wanted to send a special thank you to those who left me a review, and I invite you to see my personal responses to you at the end of this chapter.

I'm sorry it took me a little longer than I expected to update. We ended up taking my dad camping for Father's Day weekend, and I spent the time fishing, climbing (and falling out of) trees, and telling ghost stories around the campfire rather than writing. However, I am back home now, and I plan to update VERY regularly from here on out. Anyways, enough chit-chat. On with the story...

Chapter 2

"When do you think we shall see them again, lad?" asked Gimli as he and his three friends sat mounted on their steed at the Gondorian gates.

Aragorn shook his head and willed the frown to leave his face. "I do not know for sure" he answered as they watched the five figures ride off into the distance. "It could be many years before we see those brave hobbits again."

"Well, let us hope that it is not too far away" replied the dwarf in a hopeful tone. After a moment or two of silence, he spoke again. "I hate to see them ride off alone."

At hearing this, Legolas turned his head to smile at the dwarf seated behind him atop of Arod. "Not to worry, Gimli" the elf assured. "Lord Elrond rides with them until they pass the borders of Imladris. They are in the best of company." The two friends then began to discuss whether an elf or a dwarf would be the more ideal traveling companion for such a journey home.

Aragorn smirked as he began to lead his friends back towards to the palace halls. The elf and dwarf would be leaving in two days time, and while it grieved him to know that he would soon lose these two as well, it warmed his heart to hear their voices with him now. His contentment was soon put on pause as he noticed the wizard in their company had grown increasingly quiet as he rode beside him. "You seem troubled" was all he said, in hopes of getting Gandalf to speak.

"Hmm" was the short reply from the wizard, and for a moment, Aragorn did not think he would speak again. The newly crowned king of men was about to inquire again, when Gandalf met his eyes. "I find myself growing concerned" he explained.

Aragorn frowned at this. "Concerned? Regarding what? Frodo?"

Gandalf thought for a moment. "Yes…partially" he answered slowly, as if unsure how to answer. "It is true that Frodo is, and may always be, deeply changed by what he has gone through as the Ringbearer. It does trouble me to think of how this will affect the rest of his life." Gandalf became silent for a time after this, but because Aragorn could tell that the wizard had more to say, he allowed his old friend the time he needed to collect his words before speaking again. "However my concern is birthed from something else… something that looms close by… something that waits."

The wizard's words caused a spike of worry to enter Aragorn's heart. A warning from Gandalf was not something to ignore; even if it was just a birthing concern. "What do you suspect this something you speak of might be?" he asked, hoping to get his friend to elaborate.

"I am not sure" answered Gandalf sadly. "Yet, we must be careful, Aragorn. For I feel as though a wolf may be watching, waiting for the deer to feel overly secure."

"Gondor has been the prey for far too long, old friend" Aragorn responded with determination in his voice. "I will bear in mind your growing concern; for I will not allow a hunter of any kind to make sport of this city and its people."

Gandalf smiled at his human companion. 'Yes' he thought, 'this role suits him well.'

The light of the following morning woke Nilla and brought an immediate smile to her face. She lay there in bed for a moment, staring up at the ceiling and stretched her arms and legs out with a big yawn. "Today is the day" she said to herself, still smiling.

As she sat up and swung her long legs over the side of the bed she looked down at the gold band around her finger. The ring was her wedding band, of a marriage long ago; one that had ended tragically in the streets of a small town near Harad. Looking down at her ring she fingered the small alteration she had made to it. She had added a small red stone to the band, and she smiled as she envisioned in her mind what it would later be used for. For unbeknownst to anyone else, the small stone hid a dark weapon. Inside was a small needle point doused in poison.

"Today, my love," she began again, still fingering the stone, "today he will finally feel our vengeance."

Nilla rose from the bed and quickly got herself ready for the day. After throwing on a simple, but pretty, purple dress, she hummed a soft song to herself as she undid the twists in which she had tied up her hair as she slept. The untied strands fell loose and formed the curls that she had become accustomed to seeing these days. The curls, she thought, made her features much softer, and gave her a sense of youth and innocence; two things she was not.

Truth be told, Nilla was neither innocent nor young. Her innocence had died long ago through bloodshed and the growing hatred in her heart, and her years far exceeded even that of Legolas; though very few were aware of this. An immortal, she was, belonging to a race of people that had long since faded into myth and legend. However, that information she had kept secret since arriving in Gondor several years ago. It was a secret she had kept in order to keep her identity a secret; a secret that would reveal itself in due time.

For now, Nilla had to concentrate on the task at hand. Vengeance was close, but it still required her full attention in order for it to successfully be pulled off. Kalu and his men would be waiting for her at exactly 9:15 in the location she had specified. They would be waiting for her to deliver the incapacitated body of the Elven Queen, which they would then transfer to the next location that she had specified. It was a simple plan for them to follow, and the payment she offered was more than enough of an incentive for them. The tricky part would be getting the Queen in the incapacitated state, while so many loved ones looked on.

Nilla's plan was brilliant, and she smiled at the thought of it. Arwen had been distressed at the departure of her father the day before. While she had been overjoyed to be reunited with Aragorn, and she managed to do a fine job of hiding her sadness, it was clear to those that looked close enough that she had taken a wound at seeing her father leave. Nilla knew that Arwen would seek solitude tonight, and allow her husband some time alone with the friends that would be departing soon as well. This would be her opportunity to get the Queen alone. She was in the perfect position to do so. Being one of the Queen's ladies, it would seem natural for her to offer Arwen a shoulder in a time of upset. She would veil herself as a confidant, and strike while the Queen was vulnerable.

The day flew by faster than anyone had expected it to, and Aragorn was beginning to realize just how much work went into being the King of Gondor. Reconciliation treaties, military formations, strategies for rebuilding damaged parts of the city; all of these had been tackled before lunch, and there was still more work to be done. Rebuilding a world without Sauron and maintaining an age of peace was going to be a long journey; and when it finally came for him to join his beloved and dear friends for a private meal in the royal chambers, he could not have been more thrilled.

"You look worse than the dwarf, mellon nin" Legolas teased as he watched the man collapse onto the couch next to Arwen. Gimli grumbled a retort, but his mouth was so full of roasted pork that none were able to decipher it.

"And you, dear friend, look so content that it actually annoys me" came Aragorn's rather pathetic attempt at a comeback. The elf had positioned himself on the open window ledge, arms folded neatly behind his golden head and legs casually laid out in front of him along the pane.

"I am quite content actually" Legolas replied as he allowed his eyes to close in complete relaxation. "The breeze is assisting in overpowering the smell of Gimli's feet." His statement earned him the title of "target" as the dwarf picked up several cherries from the table and whipped them at him. Legolas was about to retaliate when Arwen insisted that making a mess was not going to be tolerated in her quarters. The dwarf immediately looked guilty, and Legolas went back to his lounging state with a cocky grin on his lips.

Aragorn shook his head, and Gandalf smiled as he lit his pipe. The wizard sat in a chair across from the King and Queen, and he looked at the tired man fondly before speaking. "Exhaustion is a small price to pay for the good you will do now that you have returned to the throne, dear boy" he explained with sincerity in his voice as Nilla entered the room with tray of tea for the friends to share. Her actions were met with a set of appreciative words before she moved on to ready the royal sleeping chambers.

"I agree with you, Gandalf" Aragorn replied earnestly. "However, that being said, I still appreciate your offer to remain in Gondor until the first frost. Your presence is of great comfort to us both" he continued, referring to himself and his lovely new bride.

"I am happy to be of any service that I can be" answered Gandalf, before Gimli interrupted the wizard's train of thought by insisting that he try some of the salted chicken.

Aragorn was about to fill himself a dinner plate when he noted the way Arwen kept glancing in the direction of the open window that Legolas sat in. For a moment he thought to tease her, and inquire why her eyes sought the elf's form when her husband was right next to her. However, he hesitated as he sensed the pain she was feeling radiate from her.

"Are you well?" he asked quietly, concern in his eyes. Arwen turned to face him, and allowed a smile to grace her lips as she nuzzled into him.

"I am well" she replied in a soft tone. "Forgive me, Aragorn. The leaving of my father has put a melancholy upon my mood this night."

Aragorn placed a gentle kiss upon her lips. "There is nothing to forgive, my love" he assured. There was no threat that Arwen regretted her decision to stay with him, that Aragorn knew for sure; however, beginning a new life in a world of men would be a transition for his beloved, and he was prepared to do whatever it took to help her with it. "Anything that I can do to ease your heart, please don't hesitate to let me know."

Oh how she loved him. Arwen placed another kiss upon her husband's lips. "Thank you" she replied. "With that in mind, I think that I might leave you boys to your evening alone."

'There's my cue' thought Nilla from her place in the sleeping quarters as she watched Arwen move to her feet.

"If you wish to sleep, we can move to another room, Milady" suggested Gimli as he quickly rose to his feet as well. He was waved down by Arwen with a smile.

"No, no, that will not be necessary" she insisted. "I actually thought that I might take a short walk through the gardens. It is a beautiful night after all."

Nilla was overjoyed. She began to walk towards the gathered friends and was about to offer her company to the Queen, when Legolas stood as well. His eyes were open now, and directed to the city below as he spoke.

"Forgive me, Arwen, but it seems that you will not have the opportunity for solitude this night."

'What? What is that supposed to mean?' Nilla wanted to demand as she shot the elf a death stare.

Arwen and the others were also baffled by Legolas' words. "What makes you say that, Legolas?" the daughter of Elrond questioned as she walked over to the window and allowed her eyes to follow the direction he pointed out to her. After a moment, a giant grin appeared as she turned back around and faced the others in the room. "I cannot believe it" she exclaimed. "They have arrived."

"Who has?" Aragorn asked the very question that Nilla wanted to ask as well.

Arwen's smile grew even larger than before. "Elladan and Elrohir. My brothers are riding through the city as we speak. They will be here momentarily." Excitement mirrored on the face of Aragorn at this news. The twins were not expected for at least another month or so. This was certainly a surprise. He and the others instantly gathered themselves and made for the main hall in order to greet the newcomers when they arrived, leaving a stunned Nilla behind in the royal chambers.

It was 8 o'clock and the Queen was about to greet the brothers that she had not laid eyes on in nearly a year. Brothers who would no doubt stay by Arwen's side far past the 9:15 timeframe Nilla had planned on. "Well this is certainly going to complicate things" she exclaimed out loud in frustration as she rushed out of the chambers with her mind racing. She now had just over an hour to formulate a new plan that allowed her to still accomplish the task she had been plotting for nearly a decade.

Time was ticking.

To be continued...

Author's Note: Well there you have it. The race is on and Nilla is going to have to make some adjustments to her plan if she wants to still take revenge upon Aragorn. I know that many of you may have questions about who Nilla is, what race she belongs to, and what happened between Aragorn and her husband. Don't worry. All of those answers will come in time. As for me, I am off. Look for the next chapter to be up very soon. Thanks again for reading, and please review. I sure do like reviews.

Personal Notes to my reviewers:

Note to MaidMarian17: Thanks for your review. I know, I did leave it at a bit of a cliff-hanger, and I kinda did the same here. I'm glad that you're liking the story so far. As for your question about Nilla's husband... well I don't want to give that away just yet. That will be revealed later on in the story, as Aragorn will be forced to ask that very same question as well in the near future. Just hang with me and you'll find out eventually *evil laugh*.

Note to LemonBread: Thank you so much! I hope that you like this chapter just as much (if not more). I'm excited for the plot to start picking up, and I'm excited to hear what you think as we go forward.

Note to quaff: I really appreciate your comment! Thank you for reading my story. I'm glad to have captured your interest. I also hope to hear if I've managed to keep you entertained.