If none of you are left reading this, I completely understand. It has been over two months since my last update and that is just not acceptable. I am so sorry for my delay. This update might be a little short, but it covered exactly what I wanted it to. I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter Thirty-Six (Aragorn)

With Mareke gone, everything felt off. Since she had arrived in Minas Tirith we had not been apart longer than the week long visit she had taken to Ithilien before she was even carrying Shuk.

I had not realized how deeply ingrained in my daily routines my wife was.

When I returned to our chambers after long days in my study or council chambers, there was no one to discuss what had happened with.

Adnan handled his mother's absence the best out of my sons. He was busy with lessons and had many people to entertain him in Mareke's absence.

Arathorn turned into a terror the likes of which I had never seen. Never had I seen the child show so much emotion, especially in a negative fashion.

For the first couple of weeks he toddled around our chambers looking for Mareke. Rarely had he been in our chambers without her and so he expected to find her in her study, the sitting room, or our bedroom.

When he could not find her, he threw himself to the ground and wailed loudly until he exhausted himself and fell asleep where he landed.

Very quickly I learned not to disturb him as when I picked him up he woke and began the screaming search all over again.

I could not get him to eat anything. He refused to feed himself and when I lifted a spoon he clamped his mouth shut and turned his face away from me.

I sent for Lady Belethiel in my desperation. I had wanted to be responsible for as much of the boys' care as I could in their mother's absence. As Mareke was hardly away from them during her day to day activities, Arathorn made that goal very difficult to achieve.

He was somewhat soothed by Lady Belethiel. Of course I wanted my son to find some peace while Mareke was away, but it was disheartening that he got little reassurance from me.

Looking back, I had not spent much time alone with Shuk. After putting him into Lady Belethiel's care, I slowly integrated myself back into his routines. I managed a dinner here or there, took him and Adnan into the gardens together and even once took them both for a ride around Pelennor Field.

As I attempted to make Shuk warm up to me, I thought of Mareke nearly constantly and began to fully understand what her daily life looked like as the primary caregiver to both of the boys. I found myself exhausted and frustrated more days than not and I could not fathom adding an infant to the when my wife was in Minas Tirith she handled everything with grace and patience.

By the time a messenger arrived from Harad, Shuk, Adnan, and I had found some semblance of a routine and normalcy. Mornings were still the worst for Shuk.

After I rose every morning, I worked at our large dining room table until I heard Shuk crying to be rescued from his crib. He did not stop when I lifted him into my arms. He wailed for his mother.

I think in his sleep he forgot Mareke was gone and woke expecting her to retrieve him and rock him until he was fully awake.

"I miss her too," I murmured every morning. "She will be back soon."

I truly had no idea when she would be back. I had received one letter from her father's advisor stating that Mareke had made it to Harad, but was too distraught at her father's condition to write anything herself.

The idea that Mareke had not written even a short note to inquire after the state of her sons lay unsettled at the back of my mind for days.

"Something does not feel right," I said, pacing in my study before Legolas and Gimli. "It seems uncharacteristic that she would not write even one sentence inquiring after Adnan or Arathorn."

Gimli nodded his agreement. "She would know that she would be without word of them for nearly a month. I would think she would beg desperately for all new of her boys after so long with how invested she is," he paused. "Aragorn, do you think some ill has befallen her at the hands of her brother?"

It was the exact thought that had plagued me since I had read the message from Harad.

"Should we go to Harad?" Legolas asked.

I was grateful to see that their concern nearly mirrored mine and that I was not merely paranoid. My wife had become enmeshed in all of our lives.

"I do not know. Perhaps. This all just seems too odd to me."

"So it does to me as well," Gimli agreed. "And if this hunch is correct we should not delay our departure."

I nodded. It seemed there was no other option. "Neither of you need come with me," I said quietly.

"Nonsense Aragorn," Legolas replied. "Who else could you trust with this?"

"Let me think through what is to be done," I said. "Come back this evening."

After my friends left me, I paced my study, running my hands through my hair.

Since Mareke had decided to leave, I had second guessed my decision to support her choice. I could never live with myself if something happened to her or our second child.

I had been blinded by the death of my own father. I had lived my entire life without him and would have given anything for even a few more hours with him.

I knew that despite everything Mareke had gone through, she had never blamed Hashad. She had understood from the beginning of our marriage that it was for her people and she never begrudged her father sending her to Gondor. They had maintained a close relationship despite their distance and she had written to both of her parents quite frequently. I did not want to know what it would have been like if something had happened to Hashad and she had not been there, but not hearing from my wife made me think that perhaps nothing was going to happen to Hashad.

I knew I had to go to the City of Serpents, but I dreaded not finding Mareke there.

Legolas and Gimli returned after their dinner and I was still pacing. I looked to the Elf.

"Round up my guard," I told him. There was a designated group of men whose responsibility was to me solely. "What is left of them."

They had been selected from the younger set of Gondoran men that had come onto Pelennor Field to fight in our last stand. None of my guard was from the old families. I had sent some with Mareke and I would take the rest with me.

Legolas nodded.

"We will leave at sunrise," I said, though I was not sure if I could wait that long to depart. There was a clenching, sick feeling in my stomach at what we might encounter. Or what we might not.

I went back to my chambers just in time to catch Adnan before bed. Shuk had been put down long ago and I knew he would not mind my absence.

I sat on the edge of Adnan's bed and looked down at him. Mareke had always said that he looked just like his father, but I could not attest to that. I could only see his mother in his high cheekbones, dark eyes, wild curls, and his occasional defiant looks.

"I must leave you for a while as well, Adnan," I said quietly, once he was settled under the covers.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

I dare not tell him that I thought his mother might be in trouble. He was young enough though that I could put him off that scent.

"I have some duties to attend to south of here," I said, pushing his unruly hair away from his forehead.

"Can I come?" He looked at me imploringly.

"Not this time, little prince. But soon you will be old enough to ride with me on many errands," I promised.

That stilled the boy and I realized my mistake instantly. Mareke had just missed his seventh birthday.

"When will Mama be home?" he asked, voice just above a whisper. "I thought she would be home by now."

I nodded. "Things must be worse than we thought with your grandfather. But I am sure having your mother there is helping tremendously. We must not be selfish." Adnan looked up at me. "I know how you are feeling. I miss her terribly as well."

"You do?"

I nodded once more. "Of course I do. Your brother is rather difficult without her. And I miss coming back to these rooms and seeing her here at the end of a very long day. I miss hearing about all that you all did, all that she did at the orphanage. I miss her laugh and her voice and her scent. I miss having someone to discuss my concerns with who can point out what I am missing and give me a different understanding…" I trailed off, realizing that I had been very long winded. Adnan was staring up at me rather blankly. "Yes, I miss your mother."

The boy rolled onto his side, sleep creeping upon him.

"Take care of Shuk while I am away," I said, pressing a kiss to his temple and adjusting his blankets as I rose.

Returning to my rooms had been difficult since I had begun to fear for Mareke's safety. When she had asked me to move in permanently it had become a refuge after long days. We often had sat on a sofa in front of the fire and talked through many concerns I had regarding the realm and many she had had about the orphanage and our sons.

I walked through the sitting room and into our bedroom. I had almost considered going back to my rooms without her, but knew the boys would not be able to find me if they needed anything. I sat on the edge of our huge bed four-poster bed and pulled my boots off. I did not bother with a sleeping shirt that night, I did not have the focus. Instead, I stripped down to my breeches and undershirt and slipped under the covers.

Since my wife had left, I had demanded that the sheets of our bed not be washed. The servants had looked at me as though I were a barbarian and perhaps I was, but I had found some small comfort in the smell of Mareke's perfume that had lodged itself in her pillows. I hugged those pillows to my chest and breathed deeply, trying to picture her sitting at her father's bedside, too beside herself to write even a quick note. As a I laid awake that night though, something deep within me knew that that is not where I would find Mareke.

ooooOoooo

I drove my men hard on the ride south. Normally, it would have taken a party to reach Harad at least a week, but we crossed the border in six days. Everyone was exhausted, but I could not take any more chances with my wife's safety. The nagging feeling that something was terribly wrong had only grown stronger. In my past I had always trusted my intuition. I could not just go for a leisurely ride.

It took half a day to get from the border to the City of Serpents and by the time we arrived, I was covered in a cold sweat and I knew that all color had blanched from my face.

Gimli looked up at me as we dismounted. "Whatever happens, lad, we will be right beside you."

I led my company of men into the dark palace and immediately saw servants scurrying away. As I approached the throne room, Hashad strode around the corner being led by one such servant. In that instant, I knew. I knew Mareke would not have stayed any longer than necessary due to her condition and missing her other children. I knew, as a Healer, looking at Hashad that he had never been sick. I knew my wife was not within those palace walls.

I nearly buckled when I saw him, but Gimli pressed a firm hand to my back and it grounded me.

"Your Majesty," Hashad said with a bow of his head. "To what do I owe this surprise visit? Is Mareke with you?"

I could only shake my head and stare at him for a long moment before mustering up a response. "She is not. She rode to Harad some weeks ago."

"Rode to Harad?" He looked puzzled. "Whatever are you talking about? She has not been here."

"To be with you on your deathbed," I said quietly. "Which I am grateful to see that you are not on."

He continued to look at me, eyebrows furrowed. He turned to Legolas. "Is the King alright?"

Legolas looked between me and Hashad. "Perhaps we should sit down," he suggested gently.

"There is no time for that!" I exploded. "Where is your son?" I demanded. "Where is Na'man?"

"Na'man?" He looked at me blankly. "He just left today to go to the mining region."

"Your daughter rode here having received a letter from your chief advisor, a man she has known her entire life she said and that she trusted very much. However, it is clear that we should not have placed that trust in him as your daughter is not here," I spoke rapidly, wanting to make him understand as quickly as possible so that we could find Mareke.

Understanding dawned on his face. "Oh no," he breathed. He dragged his eyes to meet mine. He turned behind him and shouted at the servants standing there idly. "Send for the General!"

He, Legolas, and Gimli did finally coax me to sit down in a private room and take some food and water. "You cannot just rush back into Harad having no idea where you are going," Gimli said gently.

I obliged and waited impatiently, heart hammering in my chest. In my haze of grief and anger, I was not thinking that I knew the General of Harad's armies, but when I saw Baran enter the room, I shook my head.

Hashad turned to me. "I know that you are not fond of one another, but you need each other now," he said firmly. He quickly explained to Baran what information he had gotten out of me and what had been supplemented by Legolas and Gimli.

"She will be in the jungle," he said quickly. I stood at once, grateful for his confidence if nothing else. "That is where the Crown Prince has always indulged in his more masochistic pastimes," he said, not filtering himself in front of the King.

"We must go now," I said urgently.

"You want to go into the jungle?" he asked, raising a brow.

"I want to find my wife!" I exploded once more. "I need to find my wife," I corrected myself quietly, deflating.

Baran merely nodded. He sent another servant to have his men meet us at the stables and we were quickly off.

When we had visited Harad before, I had not known how close to the jungle we were. It took only a few hours to ride there at our pace. I had never known such stifling, wet heat as I did when we urged our horses into the mass of trees. They carefully stepped over large roots. Our Gondoran horses were unaccustomed and spooked by the strange noises of the foreign animals that resided in that place.

Legolas and Baran led the way. It was apparent that the young General knew his way around the jungle and Legolas was an excellent tracker and so I was confident that we were on the right path to finding Mareke. Though the deeper and deeper we went into the forest, the less I wanted to find her and see what my folly had cost her.

Eventually, the trees became too thick and we had to leave our horses behind. A few of Baran's men stayed as well to make sure that no lurking jungle beast would harm them.

It was practically night time on the jungle floor. The canopies of the huge trees let hardly any light filter through to the ground and so we crept forward to the best of our abilities. I stayed close behind Baran and Legolas and we all walked as silently as we could.

Abruptly, Baran stopped and turned to me, a finger pressed to his lips.

"A lookout crew," he whispered.

I could hear them. They obviously did not expect anyone to come looking for them. They were laughing and being rather noisy.

Baran spoke rapidly to two of his men and sent them, with a few of mine, to what sounded like behind the lookout crew.

We waited, beginning to move forward painstakingly slow, until we heard the shouts of surprise, arrows being loosed and then nothing. All of Baran and I's men returned to us and then we made our way forward.

In the semi-light, ahead of us I saw what appeared to be a lean-to shack and my stomach sank. Apparently, the shouting had alerted the men and some of them were standing outside when we approached. We froze, watching what they would do next.

After hearing nothing else, they returned to the shack and Baran motioned us forward.

"We will draw them out," Baran whispered. "She will be in there. When all of the men have come rushing out, you three go in," he gestured at Legolas, Gimli, and myself. We nodded and separated ourselves from the group.

Baran's men began making more noise on his command, but they were all ready. They had brought bows and the men who came rushing out of the shack had only their blades. One by one they came out only to be greeted with an arrow, until there seemed to be no more.

Baran approached the shack and gestured for me to come as well.

I sprinted forward and through the door and what I saw nearly brought me to my knees.

Mareke was there, sitting on the floor, against the rotting wall, slumped against Oyna, blinking blankly up at me. Her lip was split and swollen, one of her eyes was bruised and swollen shut, her dress had been torn and I could see cuts and burns on her legs and arms, and there was a ghastly amount of blood on the skirt.

"Mareke," I croaked, going toward her. I do not think that she truly believed I was there. It seemed as though she had seen me before in a hallucination.

"Aragorn," came Gimli's gruff voice. He seemed to be struggling with something outside. Legolas came into the shack and halted upon seeing my wife. "I will take her out of here," he said. "Go to Gimli."

I watched for a moment as he stooped and lifted Mareke into his arms. She gave a groan of pain that tore at my flesh. One of my soldiers took Oyna as well and then they were gone, back to the horses.

I strode outside of the shack and found Gimli tussling with another pale man. "I found this one trying to escape out of one of the windows in the melee," he said, grabbing the man by his hair and jerking his face up to meet mine.

"Herion," I said, shocked and enraged.

I drew my sword. There would be no conversation to sway my actions this time. "Release him, Gimli."

When he did, without any warning or any words spoken I sliced clean through his neck and watched his head roll.

"There are more coming," Baran said as he came back towards the shack. Some of both of our men had gone back with Legolas and the women to ensure that they arrived back in the city safely. The ones who remained all dispersed into the trees to watch the new group come upon the shack.

They came hesitantly as they would have seen what had happened to their lookout guards.

In the back of the new group, I recognized Prince Na'man. My blood boiled and for a moment I could not see through the rage.

"Leave him to me," I whispered to Baran. He nodded and held his hand up to his men behind him.

He let them look around for a long while and assume we were gone before he dropped his hand and his men and mine rushed out to the clearing. Metal clanged on metal and there was yelling and confusion.

I strode through the mess, feeling specks of blood hit my face. I drew my sword once more. I had not taken my eyes off of the Prince and watched in bitter amusement as he tried to flee through the jungle. The tales of his cowardice had not been fabricated.

I began to run after him and when he heard someone following he looked behind him. I saw the pure panic in his eyes when he saw me, his sister's husband, and it fueled me.

When he understood he could not run, he stood and drew his sword though I could see his body trembling.

"Look what your desperation to rule and fear of a child has caused you," I said, approaching him, blade raised. "You have come for my family one too many times."

I swung and he barely made contact with my sword.

"I will ensure it never happens again."

We had run off the path and so we were dancing over roots as he avoided me and I followed him relentlessly, swinging at him, forcing him to engage. Not from the fight itself, but from the heat, sweat rolled down my face and soaked my hair and tunic.

I thought of Mareke with Legolas and immediately wanted to be done toying with the pathetic man before me. It was easy enough. I sliced deeply into his side, causing him to fall to his knees and as he looked up at me, about to slice through his neck, I had a flash of Mareke the first time we had visited Harad.

I saw clearly the desperation on her face, begging me not to act rashly against her brother for that would mean that Adnan would have to leave Gondor and come to Harad without his mother.

At the last second, my sword changed courses and sliced off his sword arm. He let out a bloodcurdling scream and fell onto his side. Blood was spurting from his arm as he clutched at it.

Baran came running up behind me, with Gimli on his heels. "Make sure he is taken to the King," I instructed, before running like I never had before back towards the horses.

ooooOoooo

By the time I reached the City of Serpents and the dark palace, Mareke had already been taken to the healing wing. I sprinted down the corridors causing servants and courtesans to leap out of my way.

She had been cleaned up and I could see that there was salve on her cuts and on her forehead and chest.

King Hashad was sitting next to the bed, head bent over one of Mareke's dark hands. I could see his body shaking from the sobs. I stepped quietly into the room and he looked up at me, standing slowly.

"Where is he?" he asked. I did not have to ask who he referred to.

"Being brought to you," I said, not giving indication of the state he would be in.

He nodded. "Send for me if you need anything, Aragorn." He passed by me and rested a hand on my shoulder briefly. "I will never forgive myself for this. For being so trusting. Look what it has cost her."

I knelt next to the bed, not even pulling a chair up. I did not deserve those comforts. I stared at my wife and all she had been through and I knew it was my fault. I knew that I should not have let her leave Gondor. I clasped her hands and pushed her hair away from her face. She was burning up with a fever. I took a cool cloth and pressed it to her forehead, her cheeks, her neck.

"Mareke," I said her name quietly. "I am so sorry," I whispered. "This was all my fault." I felt hot tears roll down my cheeks.

I surveyed her body. She was emaciated and there was no sign of the rounded stomach she had left Minas Tirith with. I had known when I saw all of the blood that there was no longer a child.

"My foolishness has cost you much, but please do not leave me," I said as I watched her chest rise and fall with her shallow breathing.

"You cannot leave me. You cannot leave your sons. They need you more than anything. As do I."

I knelt long into the night murmuring to her, reapplying salves and pressing the rag to her forehead.

Healers came in to check on her periodically, though they recognized that I knew what I was doing too. A young woman came in and I looked at her with desperation in my eyes. "Tell me, please, was she...was…" I could not choke out the question I had to ask. "Was she violated?"

The woman frowned and shook her head. There was one small consolation at least, though I knew the injuries, infection, fever, and mental distress would be hard to overcome for my wife, I was glad she had not suffered that worst of crimes against women.

The sun rose and fell on her dark face and hair. "Mareke," I murmured her name for the thousandth time. "You must wake up. I cannot face this life without you. I love you."

I choked on the last sentence, realizing it was the first time I had ever said those words to her and she likely could not hear them. The realization that I did in fact love her had been sneaking up on me in Minas Tirith before she left, but in that moment it nearly ran me over as I clung desperately to her hand.

ooooOoooo

Mareke woke a day later and looked around her frantically. I quickly sat on the edge of the bed and took her hands in mine, kissing the palms and pressing them against my face, relief spreading over me.

"I did not think you were real when I saw you," she said, her voice hoarse from unuse.

"I am real," I promised. "And I am here."

Tears leaked from her eyes and I swiped them away with my thumbs. "Oh Mareke, I am so sorry I let this happen to you."

She shook her head. "It was my folly. I should have known."

We were both quiet. I did not urge her to speak. If she wanted to, she could do so when she was ready. I would never force her to relive what she had gone through.

"You kept Adnan safe," I said. "You were incredibly brave."

Late in the night, Baran had come to see me as he had captured one of Na'man's men and told me all of the information he had gotten from the cretin. Na'man had wanted Mareke to send for her son and she refused over and over though she was being tortured. The strength of my wife astounded me in how far she would go to keep him safe.

"How are they?" she asked.

I sighed. "They miss you terribly. I was a very poor substitute for their mother." I began to tell her of Shuk's antics while she had been away and there was a longing smile on her face.

"I want to see them," she whispered.

I nodded. "I know you do and we will go back to Minas Tirith as soon as you are up for it. But for now we must build your strength for that journey."

In the following days, we said nothing about her brother or the current situation in child that we had lost was not mentioned.

We focused on healing. Mareke ate what she could and tried to walk around the rooms and then the gardens, leaning heavily against my side. Slowly her color came back and her cuts and bruises healed, but I could see the shadow that loomed in her mind. Something like that would never fully go away, but I intended to never let her out of my sight again, to be there for her every step of the healing process, no matter how long it took.

There you go! Let me know your thoughts if you're still out there reading. If not, I understand because I am terrible and take so long. Per usual, guys I would love to hear any fluffy ideas you have. We're going to need them after all this couple has been through of late. I'd like to write about this family for a long time since I'm not coming up with any new fic ideas. Let me know anything you'd like to see with this family!

Happy reading,

Avonmora