Again, I apologize for how long this took. I'm not sure how happy I am with this one, but it had to be done and I'm not sure how else it could have been done better. Ah, the plight of a writer. I hope you all enjoy it!

Chapter Thirty-One (Mareke)

"How are you feeling, Your Majesty?" The young healer asked as I laid back in my bed. I stared at the ceiling as she pushed my heavy dress to my hips. I was comfortable with the woman as she was the one who had cared for me after Herion's imprisonment.

"I am doing much better," I said honestly.

"Hopefully you have given your son to a nurse more often than you were?" she asked, before beginning the exam.

The lingering pain I had felt for the months following Arathorn's delivery had been due to my not resting as I should have. The brutal fashion in which he had been delivered had caused a tear that I had not allowed to heal because I was trying to do too much. I was juggling two children, though I nearly failed at that as well as the healing.

"I have been," I responded. "I have spent much time resting."

"I can see that," she said, pulling my dress down, done with that exam. She pressed on my abdomen to ensure that everything had resumed its normal position. "And for your finally realizing what it would take to heal, I am going to release you to go back to living as you did before the delivery. No restrictions on movement or anything like that."

I smiled as I sat back up and adjusted myself.

"Just in time for the King's birthday. You can truly enjoy yourself at the festivities."

I continued to smile, though it was no longer genuine. "A miracle," I said as she gave a curtsy and left me.

After a moment, I stood and went into the nursery. Adnan was at a lesson, but a nurse was sitting in the corner rocking Arathorn.

I scooped him into my own arms and bid the woman to leave us. Taking her place in the rocker and looking down into the bundle I could not help but smile.

Never before, I was sure, had there been such an even tempered baby. In three months, I had heard him actually cry only a handful of times. If he was hungry or tired he normally only whimpered until someone picked him up.

As my son aged, a bit slower than Adnan had due to Aragorn's Numenorean blood, he began to look more and more like his father. The only hint that he was mine at all was that his skin and hair was a shade or two darker than his father's.

We had nearly half an hour to ourselves and I enjoyed the silence and the feeling of his little body in my arms and against my chest before Gimli brought Adnan in from another lesson.

The weather was becoming more mild, though there was still a spring chill in the air. Adnan's cheeks were red and Gimli was sniffling under his beard.

The Dwarf grinned when he saw the bundle in my arms. "Ah, give me the bairn," he said, taking him from me with no more warning.

"We should have nicknamed him 'the bairn,'" I said with a chuckle.

"Oh no," Gimli laughed, causing Arathorn to give a gummy smile. "I quite like Shuk. I think Adnan did a fine job with that nickname."

I glanced over at Adnan who had sat down with his wooden figurines and blocks, but he was not paying any attention to us.

"He did indeed."

"No improvements?" Gimli asked quietly.

I shook my head. "Unfortunately not. And not for lack of trying I can assure you."

After the conversation Aragorn and I had had with Legolas and Gimli, I had tried with Adnan. I had not entrusted Arathorn's care to a nurse for only my own healing, but also so that I might spend more time with my eldest. Apparently though, I had been too late. His apathy toward me had turned into anger.

"I know," Gimli sighed. He handed Arathorn back to me. "I am working on your behalf."

I nodded, smiling softly, gratefully at Gimli who had become very dear to me.

He gave a short bow and left me alone with my two sons.

Dinner was brought into my rooms for Adnan and I. I nursed Arathorn while Adnan began on his dinner. Aragorn did not join us for meals, at my request. He did not sleep with me any longer as Arathorn only woke once during the night if at all.

When Arathorn was satisfied, I took him and laid him in the cradle in my bedroom before coming out and sitting across from Adnan.

"You have not eaten any of your vegetables," I said quietly.

"I do not want them," he grumbled.

""This is not a negotiation. Eat your vegetables or you cannot leave this table."

"Why?" he retorted. "You do not do what you are supposed to do."

"Excuse me?" I raised an eyebrow and folded my arms over my chest.

"No one tells you what to do," he snapped. "You should speak to Aragorn, but you do not and yet you are not in trouble."

"Adnan,"' I said. "That is a little bit different than not eating your vegetables."

"Is it?" He actually shouted at me as he stood up and glared at me.

"Sit down and eat those vegetables," I said, my own voice rising.

"No!"

Before I could stop him, he had swiped his arm across the table and the plate went falling to the floor, shattering upon impact.

Adnan and I stared at each for half of a moment before he turned on his heel and ran into his room.

The door slammed behind him, but just as quickly it opened again and Lady Belethiel came out. I had not known that she was in his room, but she must have been tidying up or tending to some other task.

"Your Majesty, is everything alright?" she asked, concern evident on her features.

I took a deep breath and nodded. "Please just see that the Prince gets to bed. He will not want to see me."

"As you wish," she replied and returned to Adnan's room.

ooooOoooo

Two days later, guests began to arrive for Aragorn's birthday celebration. Among the first were Eowyn, Faramir, and Elboron. All three of them came promptly to my chambers to catch up.

Since there had been no presentation ceremony for the Crown Prince, the family from Ithilien had not yet met Arathorn.

Eowyn had the tact to greet Adnan first. She hugged him tightly and he hugged her back. "My goodness how you have grown, little Prince!" she exclaimed. "I very nearly did not recognize you!"

When they seperated she made her way to my youngest.

"There is little Shuk," Eowyn exclaimed, picking him up from where he had been lying on a thick blanket on the floor of my sitting room. I had written to her of the nickname.

"He is precious," she said, sitting next to Faramir, who had settled on a sofa with Elboron on his lap.

"It is not hard to guess as to who his father is," Faramir chuckled, taking one of Arathorn's tiny feet in his hands.

Elboron was not quite interested in the babe and instead slipped onto the floor and toddled over to where Adnan had drug his blocks out. Tentatively, he handed one to the much smaller boy. It made me smile to see him acting thoughtfully.

Elboron plopped down and began to build, with Adnan helping him. It gave me hope that one day both of my sons would share a relationship.

I turned my attention back to Faramir and Eowyn, who was cooing down at Arathorn.

"We should have another," she said abruptly, looking up at Faramir.

I laughed out loud at the look on his face. He was clearly taken aback and his cheeks colored at the suggestion.

"Perhaps we should discuss this later." He stood and went over to Adnan and Elboron. "And perhaps the boys would like to go into the gardens?"

Elboron was clearly his mother's son. At the mention of going outdoors, he immediately lifted his arms to his father and nodded vigorously.

They were promptly bundled up and herded outside by Faramir.

"I only said that so we might have a moment alone," Eowyn said with a laugh.

"Your husband might believe that, but I think the shieldmaiden might enjoy motherhood more than she thought possible," I returned.

It was Eowyn's turn to blush. "Perhaps you are right. I do miss the feeling of holding one so little as Shuk." Finally, she tore her gaze away from the babe and looked up at me. "How is everyone adjusting?"

"Miserably," I admitted. With Eowyn, I knew I could be honest. Out of everyone I knew, she was the woman I knew I could count on when I needed someone. She had snuck Adnan to me during my confinement after all.

"I had heard that the delivery was difficult and the subsequent banishment of the healer," Eowyn said quietly.

"I have struggled to reconnect with Aragorn," I said. "Though I do not think our connection was that strong to begin with."

Eowyn nodded. "I did not approve of how he treated you for the longest time and I was very unhappy when he made you go through with the confinement, but I have known him through many challenges and he is more than what he has shown you."

"I have seen that man," I admitted. "I liked him very much."

Eowyn nodded. "He has made appearances."
"Adnan has been acting out because Aragorn and I are not really on speaking terms unless it is about one of the boys."

"Mareke, you know I am your friend and I value our relationship. That being said, I only want you happy. So is this embargo on communication making you happy?"

I knew what I had gotten myself into when I opened my mouth to Eowyn. There was no doubt in my mind that I could trust her with my life and those of my family, but I also knew that she would not sweeten any of her blows and tough questions.

"No, I suppose it is not."

"So then, what is the point?" She looked down at Arathorn once more. "It is obviously not good for Adnan and if Shuk grows up around it then he will be harmed as well."

"Eowyn, how do I forgive him? How do I forget this? I cannot stop blaming him for my treatment."

My friend sighed. "You just must. You are here for the rest of your life as far as I can tell. You care about your sons and want them to grow up in a happy environment." She took my hand. "You and Aragorn were on your way to being happy when you returned from Harad and when you were expecting Shuk. I know you are hurting, but so many months later you are doing this to yourself. You are reopening the wound every time you think of all the hurt. Not only are you hurting yourself, but if Adnan is actively acting out then you are quite obviously hurting him as well."

I stared at my hands in my lap and I twisted the dark jewel I wore over the tattoo that symbolized my first marriage. If Jibran could see our son he would certainly be angry with me.

"You must put this behind you. Stop dwelling on it. Go forward with him as his Queen, his wife, and the mother of his son. That is the only way."

Finally, I looked up at Eowyn. "Of course you are right."

"Of course I am," she agreed.

ooooOoooo

The days leading up to Aragorn's birthday celebration were a whirlwind of activity and preparations and I was not able to spend much time with our guests. I hoped there would be some time afterwards for more intimate gatherings before everyone was to depart back to their respective homes.

I was sitting before my vanity once more with Lady Ioreth digging pins into my scalp to prepare for the celebration. "Have you decided which gown you will be wearing, Your Majesty?" she asked, adjusting my unruly curls.

"The gray I think," I said, looking in the mirror to see the two dresses that were hanging, waiting for my decision. It was a drab color and it would disguise my body which was still not back to what it had been after my second delivery. I also did not want to draw attention to myself as we had been under much scrutiny since the banishment of Herion.

"As you wish," Lady Ioreth said, though I could see her eyes lingering on the much more beautiful and elaborate royal purple gown.

As I was being laced into the gown, Lady Belethiel came into my chamber with Adnan by her side and Arathorn cradled in her arms. The babe had been dressed in a white lace monstrosity of a gown, but until he was old enough for breeches and a tunic that would be his uniform. Mostly when he was in my care I kept him in his cloth diaper and swaddled him tightly, not bothering with the formal gowns.

Part of me was worried as this would be Arathorn's first public appearance as there had been no official ceremony for him. I knew that I did not enjoy being in front of the court and I hated to think of my littlest son available for the people's scrutiny.

"Look how handsome they both are," Lady Ioreth said as she finished with my gown and I took my son into my own arms.

"Indeed," I agreed. I reached to ruffle Adnan's curls, but he subtly moved out of my reach.

With a sigh, the three of us made our way into the sitting room just as Aragorn entered the room to join us and escort his family to the great hall.

"Look at you all," he said, taking us in. "I am honored to be spending another birthday with you two and to be adding Shuk this year." His words were oddly formal, but that was how he spoke when I was around, though even he had taken to Adnan's nickname for Arathorn.

Aragorn searched my face for a moment. "Might I ask for just one moment of privacy with my family before we are the center of attention this evening?"

I nodded and relinquished my hold on Arathorn as his father reached to take him.

Every time I had seen my husband with the child we had created, my heart melted a bit, which had made it very difficult to continue to hold my grudge against him.

I had thought him handsome from the moment I had stepped foot in Minas Tirith and I hated myself for it then, thinking it a betrayal to my previous life. But when he held our son and his countenance softened, I wanted to hold him, wanted him to hold me against his firm chest with his strong arms. He seemed to get more and more handsome with each phase of life he encountered.

"That will have to do for now," he said with a soft sigh, handing Arathorn back to me and helping to adjust his lace gown.

Aragorn took Adnan's hand, though the boy looked unhappy about it, and then he offered his other arm to me which I took with the arm that was not cradling Arathorn.

I had opted to change the celebration from the schedule it had followed in years past. Instead of mingling before we ate, everyone was already seated when we arrived. I had done so in order to keep Arathorn's appearance short.

Aragorn led us to our own table, everyone risen from their seats in respect to the royal family, and we took our seats. We sat for only a moment before Lady Belethiel made her presence known behind my chair.

I looked quickly down at my son, who had slept peacefully through the whole thing, before handing him to the nurse he shared with Adnan.

And that was it.

There was whispering after the Crown Prince had been taken away, but I ignored the buzzing, glad that it was over and not caring if anyone thought that he should have been in the public eye longer.

Dinner was served and while everyone was occupied with their food, I looked over to Aragorn. He had kept his eyes forward and on his plate since we had arrived and I realized how much I missed speaking with him, especially at such a public occasion when I was always nervous.

"I would speak with you after this," I said quietly.

He looked surprised.

"After the meal. I would like to go for a walk in the gardens."

"Very well," he agreed, trepidation evident in his voice.

As everyone began to mingle with the ending of the meal, Aragorn and I stood and he offered an arm once more.

"Is everything alright, Mareke?" he asked softly.

"No," I replied. "No everything is not alright."

Aragorn remained silent. Of course nothing was alright and we both knew that.

"I have decided that this cannot go on any longer, Aragorn."

He looked down at me. "What does that mean?" There was an obvious note of sorrow in his voice. "Will you be leaving?"

"Leaving?" I asked. "No, of course not." I shook my head and stopped walking, moving so that I was standing in front of him and looking up into his gray eyes. "I cannot continue living like this and while we both know what happened, I have been lingering on it to the detriment of myself and my sons, especially Adnan."

"I do not deserve to be forgiven," he said quietly.

"And I do not deserve to keep living in this miserable state. Adnan does not deserve to have his whole life upended because we no longer function together. Only I can move us all past this and so I want to leave it behind us. I want to forget it. Completely. I want you and I to leave this garden and pretend it never happened."

"Mareke," he began, his hands wrapping around my upper arms.

"I am serious. I want this more than anything."

"We will move forward and we will repeat none of this," he promised.

I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling myself closer to him than I had been since before my confinement.

Aragorn had my chin in his hand and was bending toward me when Damrod came into the gardens, coughing discreetly to make his presence known.

"Your Majesties, the court is waiting on you to begin the dancing."

Aragorn sighed and pressed his forehead to mine. I could not help but laugh. "How fitting."

"We will go to our own gardens later," he promised.

The music started when our presence was noticed in the hall once more and Aragorn spun me onto the dancefloor. He held me closer than was probably appropriate but I was glad for it.

A weight had fallen away from me during our conversation and I realized that I had waited much too long. I only hoped that Adnan would see us, trying to go back to how things had been and he would appreciate it.

As the song ended, I looked up at Aragorn once more. "Happy birthday," I said gently.

As the rest of the evening passed, it resembled one of the celebrations when we had been happier. All of our friends were gathered once more and there was talking and laughing.

In her typical fashion, Vanya came barrelling through the siblings and Imrahil from Dol Amroth as well as Eowyn and Faramir and looked me up and down.

"What in all of Arda are you wearing?" she asked.

I felt my cheeks color, but ignored it. "Thank you, you look lovely yourself, Vanya."

"I meant nothing by it," she said quickly. "I have missed you."

"Likewise," I smiled. "We need to go to the orphanage soon. I have not been since before Arathorn's arrival."

"I will arrange it myself," she promised, squeezing my hand. "I have lost Beinion again," she sighed and she was gone just as quickly.

"That friend of yours is truly something," Eomer said, coming up and standing behind Lothiriel. He towered over her

I laughed. "She is indeed, Eomer-King."

Eowyn looked toward his brother and Lothiriel. "I believe those two have some news to share with Your Majesties," she said with a sly smile.

Lothiriel's cheeks colored instantly and Eomer shot something harsh at his sister in Rohirric.

"Is that true?" Aragorn asked and I felt the warm presence on his hand on my lower back.

"It is," Eomer agreed, when he finally drug his eyes back to my husband. "Lothiriel has agreed to marry me and we would be honored to have Your Majesties presence at the wedding in Edoras in October."

I clapped my hands together. "How exciting!" I pulled Lothiriel into my embrace and then got up on my toes and kissed Eomer's stubbly cheek, causing him to color as well. "We would love to, would we not Aragorn?"

"Who am I to argue with that excitement?" Aragorn replied with a chuckle.

I grinned up at him.

We continued to dance and socialize with our friends for another few hours before we retired for the evening. Adnan had long since been taken to bed by Lady Belethiel.

"You promised we could go into the garden," I said as we walked toward the royal quarters.

"And I am a man of my word," he replied. We walked through my sitting room and into the gardens that only I could access. The night air was cool and huddled closer to him. Aragorn wrapped an arm around my shoulders and kissed my temple.

"I thought you looked beautiful tonight," he murmured and I felt his hand slip down my body, resting on my hip.

In that instant, so close to him, I wanted nothing more than to drag him back to my bedroom, but I had not been intimate with him since Arathorn had arrived and my body did not look the same as it had before.

"Let's go inside," I said quietly.

Without a word, Aragorn scooped me into his arms and strode back into my bedroom. He laid me gently on the bed.

"The baby," he whispered, glancing at Arathorn asleep in his cradle.

"Just be quiet and put out the torches," I whispered back.

With only a candle lit on the bedside table, the room was nearly completely dark which I was grateful for as Aragorn pushed my dress to my hips and then pulled it over my head. I did the same with his tunic and then pushed his breeches down as he kicked his boots off.

"Are you up to this?" He asked gently, kissing my neck and collarbone.

All thoughts of my changing body left my mind as his lips travelled down to my full breasts.

"Yes," I moaned. "Oh yes."

Aragorn took my waist in his hands and maneuvered us so that I was on top of him. "You do it. I do not want to hurt you."

After some clumsy fumbling, we were out of practice, I lowered myself onto him and we both tried to suppress the sounds that came from deep within us.

His hands had a vice like grip on my hips as I rocked back and forth. It did not take long until he was arching into me. I clamped a hand over his mouth as he finished and groaned loudly.

I leaned over and pressed kisses from his jaw all the way down his neck.

"I have missed you," he growled, pulling me down and against his side.

Before I could respond, there was the telltale whimpering of Arathorn from his cradle.

"Your son is hungry," I said, picking my slip up from the floor and pulling it over my head.

Aragorn bent over the cradle and lifted his kicking son against his bare chest.

Gently, he deposited the bundle into my arms and I freed my chest to the hungry mouth.

Aragorn settled himself into the bed next to me and I could feel his gaze.

I met his gray eyes. "Will you stay with us?"

"Of course," he agreed. "I would love nothing more than to sleep here tonight."

"Not just tonight," I said. I looked down at Arathorn and stroked his plump cheek with the back of my fingers. "Every night. Forever."

"You want me to move in here with you?"

I nodded, unsure of what had made me request such a thing especially after my experiences in asking him for change in the past.

"Nothing would make me happier," he said instantly. "I will have it done tomorrow."

ooooOoooo

A few weeks later, I woke to the sounds of whispering and I blinked awake to see Adnan leading the way into my bedroom and Aragorn following, balancing a tray of food in one hand and Arathorn cradled in his other.

"What is all of this?" I asked Adnan as he placed a vase of fresh flowers on my bedside table.

"Adnan had mentioned a while ago that in Harad you celebrate a day just for mothers," Aragorn said.

I quickly reached out to steady the tray he was lowering onto my lap.

"I thought we needed such a thing here as well. And so forevermore you shall be celebrated on this day every year."

My husband pressed a kiss to my lips and Adnan crawled into the large bed and settled next to me, picking at my breakfast.

"I fed him his own to prevent this very thing from happening," Aragorn chuckled.

"It is perfect."

I looked down at my son. As Aragorn and I had warmed up to one another again so had Adnan. I ruffled his dark curls as he munched at the fruit.

"Tell your mother what else is on the agenda for the day," Aragorn prompted Adnan as he tickled the round belly of Arathorn causing him to giggle.

I had loved watching him with Adnan, but to see him with our young, delicate son brought a smile to my face every time.

"Walking in the gardens, going to the market to select something nice for you, and a dinner with Beinion and Vanya, adults only."

"That is quite the full day," I said with a smile, kissing his forehead as he smiled proudly up at him.

"You deserve it," Aragorn said, gazing at me with a soft smile.

There you go! Let me know what you think. I don't have much to else to say for this update. Your reviews make my day and so many of you have given me such good ideas. I never turn down an idea so don't hesitate to send me your thoughts!

Happy reading,

Avonmora