Thank you all so much for the continued follows and favorites! And thank you for the continued reviews! I absolutely adore you all and I really enjoy the conversations some of us have been having about the fic! Please keep it up!

I've messed with Eomer and Lothiriel's timeline a bit, because surely they would have met by now, but I wanted Mareke to have a hand in that.

Without further ado, here is a happy chapter full of fluff and little bit of romance (I do so enjoy writing the steamy scenes). Enjoy!

Chapter Twenty-Three (Aragorn)

As Mareke, had instructed we had left that very day when the sun had set. Adnan had trembled, sitting on Brego in front of me as we had made our way to the boat that would take us into Gondor at a much faster pace than on our journey into Harad. Everyone was tense on the way back home and the little boy could feel it.

Mareke had been terse with her father as we left. Her brother had been nowhere to be found by Baran's men and so she was eager to leave. I had so badly wanted to search him out myself. I was positive that Gimli, Legolas, and I could have found him, but if he had ever been in my hands I would have certainly killed him. Though it had taken a while to understand, I did know why Mareke would rather have her blood thirsty brother alive.

"I cannot come back here," she said firmly. "I refuse to put my son in danger no matter the reassurances I receive about his safety."

There had been no parting hugs or soft words.

Wearily, we all climbed the steps of Minas Tirith after the long journey. We had arrived late at night, the White City was sleeping. I had Adnan in my arms and he was sleeping on my shoulder. The fear had followed him for many days and he had slept fitfully on the boat, waking Mareke over and over again. I had been able to hear her murmuring to him through the thin walls as she tried in vain to soothe him back to sleep.

Glancing over at my wife as we climbed, I could see that she was practically asleep on her feet. I held Adnan with one arm and put my free hand on her lower back, guiding her up the steps until we finally reached our level and wound our way back to her chambers.

I carefully laid Adnan down and he woke as Mareke stripped him down to his underclothes.

"Stay with me, Mama?" He asked in the timid voice that had taken over since the commotion of the night with the poison. I had not heard his rambunctious shouts in more than a week.

"Of course, habibi," she murmured. She seemed to be too tired to care that I was still standing there. She kicked her shoes off and pulled her heavy travelling dress over her head, getting under the blankets next to her son in just a linen slip.

"You too, Strider?" He asked, turning back to me. I jerked my gaze from his exhausted mother back to him.

"Let Strider go to his rooms in peace," Mareke said, groggily, eyes already closed.

Without a word, I kicked my own boots off and pulled my heavy tunic over my head, before settling down on Adnan's other side.

At the disturbance of the bed, Mareke opened her eyes and looked at me above the boy's head. She gave a gentle smile. I reached over Adnan and brushed a stray curl from her face. Adnan slipped one hand into my other one and then grasped his mother's as well.

The boy finally seemed able to go to sleep and Mareke may have drifted off before her son. I laid for a while longer staring at them both, looking at the chain our hands made where Adnan clasped us both to him.

ooooOoooo

In the morning, I startled awake at the sound of the door being opened from the sitting room.

"Oh my," I heard someone exclaim. I sat up and looked around to see Lady Ioreth with her hand at her throat.

"Is everything alright, Lady Ioreth?" I whispered.

"Well, yes, I...um…" The sight of the older woman so flustered pleased me greatly. I tried to stifle my smile and merely raised a brow in her direction.

"We could not find the Queen this morning after hearing that you had arrived last night," she finally managed to get out.

"Well you have found her," I replied. "But if you do not need her right this instant, I would appreciate it if you let her rest a while longer."

Adnan shifted next to me and his dark eyes blinked open. I pressed a finger to my lips when he looked up at me.

"Perhaps you could have some breakfast sent up for the prince and I. We will be in the sitting room shortly."

Lady Ioreth still stood there, practically gaping at us and I merely stared back until she left.

"We are going to let your mother sleep a while longer," I whispered, standing from the bed. Adnan hopped down without a word and retrieved his painting set that Vanya had given him on his last birthday before happily coming with me out into the sitting room. We were both just wearing breeches and our light undershirts.

I sat on one of the chairs, near the fire that had been lit and watched as he unscrewed the lids of his paints and unrolled a fresh piece of parchment. A few times he came over to me, handing over the stubborn jars that he could not open on his own.

I watched him, laying on his stomach, making wild brush strokes, dark curls lying haphazardly about after his deep sleep.

A servant brought in a tray heaping with breakfast food. After she had set it down and left, I took it and set it on the floor, sitting next to Adnan who quickly was on his knees at the prospect of food, looking over the tray, practically salivating.

"It is like eating at home again," he said, picking up a piece of bacon and popping it into his mouth.

"Indeed," I said with a smile.

Adnan looked at me thoughtfully for a long moment. "But we cannot go back home now."

"Not for a while," I corrected gently.

"It is my fault, but I do not remember what I did wrong," he said sadly.

Since he had arrived in Minas Tirith, Adnan had astounded me with what he picked up on, no matter how hard the adults around him tried to hide some issues from him. He had known how sad his mother was, though she had never spoken a word to him of her feelings and he knew that we had had to leave Harad abruptly because it had something to do with him.

"No, no Adnan it is not your fault," I said. How to explain such a thing to a child was a mystery to me, but I knew I could not brush it away. "Someday it will all make sense to you, but it may not right now. We cannot help who we are or who we are born to and sometimes that means we are thrust into situations that are not easy or agreeable, but there is nothing that we can do about them. They can only be fixed at just the right time and until then we must cope."

Adnan was looking at me, quite clearly puzzled.

"I wish I could explain that to you better, but for now just know that none of this is your fault. No one is blaming you for having to leave Harad early."

The boy gave me one last long look before returning to the tray of food. I was propped against the sofa and he leaned against my leg as he ate with his fingers. I did not correct his manners and his mother and Lady Ioreth were not present to do so, so he went along munching happily, seemingly forgetting about our conversation.

I hated to think of how everything would come to a head for Adnan. Harad was a hotbed of plotting and schemes to either keep or gain power and I hated to think of him in the middle. Every night I prayed that Hashad could keep a rein over his son for a while yet, but the outlook was admittedly bleak.

I was lost to my thoughts, but a few moments later, Mareke emerged from the nursery, looking around blearily before she spotted us on the floor amongst the furniture. She was still in her slip, but holding her riding dress from the day before against her chest.

"Oh Your Majesty!" Lady Ioreth exclaimed, coming back into the room just in time to see Mareke half dressed. She had her fingers at her temples quite obviously thinking about what she had done to deserve such a post. She looked at Adnan and I on the floor, the boy had another piece of bacon halfway to his mouth. Lady Ioreth looked at us as though we were absolute heathens. The royal family was running around half dressed!

Lady Ioreth took a deep breath. "If you will all ignore my teachings and lessons on propriety, then I will just have to leave for a while," she said dramatically. "I cannot abide by all of this." And with that she swept from the room, leaving the three of us staring at each other before bursting into laughter.

Mareke was doubled over and I had tears running down my cheeks from the ridiculousness of it all. I could not catch my breath and I glanced up to see Mareke clutching the back of a chair for support as she held her stomach. She was laughing so hard that she wasn't making a sound at all.

When I had finally composed myself, I looked at her. "Do not fret, she will be back this afternoon."

"She could not stay away if she wanted to," Mareke agreed, wiping at her dark eyes, that were shining brightly from the sheer mirth of the situation.

Adnan continued to eat, and had been eating throughout the laughing spell, as though nothing had happened out of the ordinary.

"I had better go and change," Mareke looked down hopelessly at her shift and the dirty dress she held in her hands. "I would not want to offend anyone else's propriety." She giggled to herself as she went into her bedchamber.

When my wife returned, she was wearing one of the sensible dresses she wore in Minas Tirith. Before, I had thought they were a reasonable compromise between what she wore at home and what the women of Minas Tirith wore, but after having been in Harad for several weeks and seeing in her traditional clothes, I only ever wanted to see her in those skirts and tops, the tattoos exposed.

My tunic sleeves were pushed up to my elbows and I could see my own marking. It had healed nicely and I was very proud of it.

"Down here with us, Mama," Adnan said taking her hand and pulling her onto the floor as she was about to take a seat in a chair. He settled himself on her lap and nestled himself into her chest as she used her fingers to flatten his hair.

I could only stare. She still had a small smile playing on her lips from all of the laughing we had done. She was so gentle with Adnan. I wondered what it might feel like to have her fingers in my hair like that, combing and straightening. Adnan felt safe in that his mother was constantly caring for him and I wanted to feel that as well.

ooooOoooo

"Adnan!" I heard Mareke whisper before I felt the jostling of my bed as the little boy jumped onto it. I was glad that I had heard his mother because if I hadn't I would have surely reached for the blade under my mattress.

"Happy Birthday, Strider!" He exclaimed, thoroughly rolling me over in his excitement before he stopped moving and was sitting on my chest staring down at me with a huge smile.

I could not help but chuckle. "Well thank you, Adnan. This is exactly how I wanted to start my birthday."

Mareke laughed behind him and set a tray down on the edge of my bed. Adnan eagerly crawled toward it. I groaned as his small, bony knees dug into my chest and ribs as he clambered off of me. Mareke stayed him with a look, which was saying something as normally the child could not be stopped when food was before him.

"I hope you do not mind us intruding on your space," she said. "But Adnan so enjoyed his birthday breakfast in bed that he thought you should be treated to such as well."

"Not at all," I said, sitting up and taking the tray from Mareke. "But this is too much to eat for one man," I said, looking at Adnan, who crawled back in my direction. He had stuffed an entire piece of toasted bread into his mouth before anything else could be said.

"You had better get something to eat or you will be starving for your entire birthday," Mareke said as she sat gingerly on the edge of the bed.

I looked at Adnan skeptically. "I am afraid he will bite me if I put my hands anywhere near his food."

"Let me help then," she said with a mischievous grin. She reached for her son and wrapped him tightly against her chest, his arms pinned to his side. I quickly snatched a piece of toast and fruit from the tray. Mareke grabbed a grape and held it to her son's lips. He playfully chomped at her fingers and growled.

"You are my little wild animal," she laughed into his hair.

My cheeks hurt from smiling so much from the moment I had woken up.

"How does a birthday ride sound, Adnan?" I asked, when he had relaxed against his mother.

He perked up once more.

"Let me change and we will go out for the morning," I said. "I suppose an invitation to you would be a waste?"

Mareke nodded. "It would."

"So you will go out for a ride for your son's birthday, but not for mine?" I asked, with a raised eyebrow, trying to keep the smile from my lips.

"So it would seem, Your Majesty," she said, mock ashamed. "I beg you to be fair in your punishment."

I stood from my bed, leaving Adnan to devour what was left on the tray.

"We shall see. This is a grave offense, my Queen." I gave her a playful wink before changing into my riding clothes and washing my face. Adnan was already dressed and ready to go. I imagined he had woken his mother up very early in his excitement.

"Be safe, you two," Mareke said as she headed for the door. "Try to steer clear of any orcs."

We were back from our ride before lunch. We did not go into the wooded areas, but instead stayed on the wide field just outside of the city. Adnan practiced his trotting and I let him ride with Brego and I as I spurred my magnificent horse to his full capabilities. The boy had laughed wildly in front of me as we went flying all over the field.

"Now what will we do?" Adnan asked as we returned to the palace. His dark cheeks were flushed red from all of the excitement.

"Unfortunately, I have a council meeting this afternoon," I said regretfully. I would have very much liked to stay outside and enjoy the brisk, early spring air with him.

Adnan frowned up at me.

"Trust me I would rather not go, but I must. I will see you for the festivities tonight," I promised. We were outside of his mother's rooms. I did not have time to pop my head in. I had stayed out far too long and as soon as I was sure that he was safely behind the door, I sprinted to my meeting where all of my counselors were already seated waiting for me impatiently.

ooooOoooo

I had not thought that I would ever be able to look at Mareke and feel what I had when she had first donned her traditional clothing in Harad, but as I watched her bustle around her bedchamber before the festivities, I found that I had been wrong. She wore a dark blue gown, the color of midnight, that had gold stitching on the bodice and around the long, tapered sleeves. The neckline was different than usual. It barely sat on her shoulders and I could see a good deal of her leopard tattoo that spread across her chest. My wife seemed to not care if anyone saw it and I wondered if going back to Harad and being with her people had perhaps had a positive effect on her. She wore the Queen's crown of Gondor and the gold around her forehead highlighted her dark skin. I caught her in profile as she was leaning towards her vanity, smudging the kohl around her eyes.

"What?" She asked as she straightened back up and caught me staring at her. "Is there something the matter?" She smoothed her dress self-consciously.

"No no," I said quickly. "Nothing at all."

She walked toward me and then stopped abruptly going back to her vanity and pulling out a drawer. She pulled out a small wooden box and handed it over to me. "Your birthday gift."

I popped the lid open to find a bracelet with the smallest design etched in gold. The band was leather, more of a cuff, not delicate at all and in the middle of it was a blazing sun and as I looked closely I could see an etching of the White Tree of Gondor standing in the forefront of the sun, contrasting with it.

"For our houses," she said quietly.

I nodded, but remained silent, staring at my gift. It could have so easily been a necklace to replace the one I had burned, but it was not. She did not want to be a replacement. I thought back to her trying to salvage the gem in the fire of her home, even though it had caused her much pain. She had never wanted to impede on what I had once had, had always tried to be cautious of those feelings and memories.

"Does it not please you?" She very nearly whispered.

"No, of course it does. It absolutely does. It is magnificent, Mareke." I pulled it from the box and tried to clasp it on my arm. "Could you help me?"

Without a word she stepped close enough so that she could fasten the clasp. I studied her face the entire time and when she had adjusted it we both looked at the bracelet. Impulsively, I took her face between my hands and kissed her firmly on the lips. We had not had time to explore any further the moment we had shared in Harad, but I had desperately been wanting to.

"Aragorn," she murmured pulling away. "We will be late for your own celebration."

I sighed. "You are right." I pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Thank you for the gift. I love it. It is perfect."

"I am glad you like it," she said, taking my arm and leaving her rooms.

Adnan had gone ahead with Gimli and Legolas, too impatient to sit around while his mother got ready.

"I shall be on better behavior this year," I promised, recalling my drunken temper tantrum the year before.

Mareke only shrugged and turned to look up at me. "Can you believe Adnan and I have been here for over a year?" She asked.

"It has truly passed very quickly," I agreed.

She seemed to be musing on the last year and I was glad to see that she was smiling the tiniest bit.

The doors to the great hall opened and groups of people were milling about, goblets in their hands, not yet seated for the meal.

We were swarmed immediately by the Rohirrim siblings, Eomer and Eowyn, along with Faramir, Vanya and Beinion.

"The King of Gondor should not have an empty goblet for the entirety of this evening," Eomer decreed, pushing a goblet of wine into my hand.

I laughed, but took a drink. "I have celebrated a great many birthdays, Eomer-King. I do not think I shall revel so much in this one."

"Ninety-one birthdays to be exact," Mareke said at my side with a devilish grin.

I shook my head at her. "You wound me so, wife, calling attention to my frailty."

"I have never seen a man who looked less frail," Beinion assured me, always the proper courtier, puffing his King's ego.

Mareke's attention was diverted to the babe Eowyn held on her hip.

"Oh sweet Elboron," she said in a voice I had never heard her use. "Look how you have grown."

Without another word she had taken the babe from his mother and inhaled deeply at the rolls of his neck. "He smells so sweet." She held him to her chest, hips swaying back and forth. The baby showed no sign of discomfort in the arms of this stranger. In fact, he promptly laid his head on her shoulder and stared at those around him placidly.

"Your wife works wonders with infants," Eowyn said.

"As I can see," I laughed, though I was in awe. Her sharp features had softened as she swayed there rubbing Elboron's tiny back.

"Please come work a wonder on mine," Vanya said.

"Is she still fussy?" Mareke asked.

I had not yet met the daughter of Beinion and Vanya, but her naming ceremony was coming up very soon and we would be present as her godparents.

"I had to leave her with the nurse tonight," Vanya said, guiltily. "I could not take it any longer."

"Do not fret," Eowyn assured the other woman. "It will get better."

The other men and I just stared at one another, not having much to contribute to the conversation.

Out of nowhere, Adnan came flying into the group and he crashed into his mother's legs at a breakneck speed. She took a few steps back and I reached to steady her. Elboron never even flinched she had such a hold on him.

"And then it will get worse again," she laughed, putting one of her hands in Adnan's hair.

"Now there is a man I can relate to," Eomer said, snatching Adnan off of Mareke's leg and tossing him in the air as if he did not weigh a thing.

I could feel everyone in the hall staring at our group in awe. The Rohirric King was throwing the Haradrim Prince around, the Queen of Gondor, who was supposed to abide by all rules of propriety and etiquette, was snuggling a baby to her chest and speaking to her friends as though they were commoners in a public house.

The food came out and everyone returned the children to their mothers and headed for their seats.

"Have you just decided that you do not give a damn about what the people think now?" I asked Mareke with a grin.

"I do not give a damn," she replied with a smirk.

"Well I am glad. It took long enough."

She got Adnan settled and took her own seat. The food did not interest me much. A strange mood had taken over me and I wanted to be back with our friends, actually enjoying a celebration for once.

Finally, the dancing started and I pulled Mareke to her feet. She just narrowly missed the wine that sloshed from her cup in my haste to get on the floor. It splashed on the near her feet and she looked up at me.

"What is going on?"

"I want to dance," I said simply. "And it is my birthday, so you shall dance with me, wife."

She obliged easily and many of the younger set gathered around the floor. I danced as I had not in ages. I was nimble and graceful and Mareke matched me step for step.

I bowed to her and she curtsied in return when it was over. Immediately a young man was upon her and I recognized Amrothos of Dol Amroth.

"The King is trying to show up our New Age dancing," he said, bowing to the Queen and kissing the back of her hand. "I cannot have that," he gave me a smile and a bow, before taking my wife onto the floor. She was laughing and I could not help but smile at the pair as he twirled her around the floor. Many were applauding the pair and I joined in as they finished the dance with a flourish.

"Your Majesty!" Lothiriel came hurrying up to my wife when she and Amrothos were through.

"Mareke," she corrected the other woman, hugging her tightly. They immediately began chatting and I stood to the side with Legolas and Gimli.

"This is quite unexpected," Gimli said.

"What is?" I asked.

"The mood of the festivities, lad," he was smiling under his red beard. "But I enjoy this mood much more than the previous ones."

"As do I," I agreed. My eyes kept going to my wife even as more people joined my small circle. Eomer, Eowyn, and Faramir came back.

I caught Mareke looking between Lothiriel, who she was still speaking to, and Eomer who was entertaining us all with tales of ruling the Mark.

Mareke came back to my side, excusing herself from the family from Dol Amroth. She had amassed all of the brothers and Imrahil who had adored her from the start.

"Eowyn, give me that babe and take your husband to dance. I have watched you tapping your foot just itching to get out there for an hour now."

Once more Mareke took Elboron as though she were his nurse. I reached out and let the babe wrap his small, soft hand around my finger. He was fairly dozing on my wife's shoulder. It was a pretty picture, I had to admit, seeing her with a baby.

"Eomer-King, I believe there is someone here who you might like to meet," she said.

"Is that so, Your Majesty?" He asked, taking a drink from his goblet.

"Mareke," I said, taking in her tone and wicked grin. She just glanced at me and I had no choice but to watch as she dragged Eomer, Elboron on her hip, towards Lothiriel. They had both been at my coronation, but I did not recall them meeting. Perhaps they had not.

All three of them stood talking and I could see the blush on the young woman's cheeks as she looked up at the massive Rohirric King. While she seemed the bashful maiden, I knew she was not and that she would surely shock Eomer before the night was through.

We stayed for a few hours more. Lady Belethiel eventually took Adnan to bed, though he put up a good fight, sensing that he would miss out on much fun. My face hurt from all of the laughter. I had danced several more times with my wife, Eowyn, and Vanya. Once more Mareke was being twirled around by Amrothos, but when he returned her to me, I pulled her close to my side.

"What say you? Shall we retire together?" I murmured into her ear. My hand was lowering dangerously down her side.

She nodded and without a word of goodbye to our friends we slipped quietly from the hall. We were silent as we made our way back to her bedchamber. I was silent from the anticipation I felt at what might finally be about to transpire. I only prayed that Adnan was soundly asleep.

Mareke led the way into her bedroom and as she stepped in front of me, I grabbed her hips and stopped her, but kept her facing away.

Her hair was plaited and wound tightly at the base of her neck. I undid it carefully and removed her crown, setting it on her vanity. My hands instinctively went into the curls and tousled them so they would be as wild and free as they had been in Harad.

I heard a small moan escape her lips as I allowed my fingers to linger in her hair. Very slowly, I moved my hands to the neckline of her dress and pushed it down so that it pooled at her feet. My finger traced over the newest tattoo on her shoulder blade, the symbol for a queen. I pressed my lips to her shoulder and my hands ran over her flat stomach and up to her breasts, which were full for her lean body. Her skin was incredibly smooth.

Mareke relaxed back against me as I kissed her neck and continued to knead her flesh.

"You are a bit overdressed, Your Majesty," she said turning abruptly in my arms and pulling my tunic off in a flash as well as my undershirt. Her dark arms wrapped around my neck and she pulled me tightly to her, kissing me deeply on the lips. I crushed her against me, would have consumed her if I could. Instead, I picked her up, rough hands under soft thighs and laid her on her bed.

I stood over her and drank her in. She was as she was in Harad, completely natural and completely sure of herself. She looked right back at me and did not move to cover herself at all.

I kicked free of my boots and bent to place my mouth on her chest.

Immediately, Mareke arched into me. I grasped her hips and moved to kiss all the way down her body. Before I got past her navel, she had drawn me in with her legs and untied my breeches.

"Now," she said urgently. "I need you now."

I was fairly bursting, but pushed my breeches down and pulled her to the edge of the bed. With her sharp heels digging into my lower back, she brought us together hastily. I threw my head back and gave a strangled cry of pure pleasure, not moving at all for an agonizing moment.

Finally, I looked down at her and took her hips in my hands once more, thrusting deep within her. It took only a few more similar thrusts before Mareke went completely still, eyes closed tightly and I felt something I never could have imagined. She tightened around me repeatedly and seemed to have no control over her body. My own body spasmed and I gripped her so hard that when I moved my hands I could already see the bruises forming in the shape of my fingers.

I fell onto the bed next to her and closed my eyes for a moment, but could feel her staring at me. I opened my eyes and studied her, heart slowing down a bit. I looked down and traced the spiral tattoo on her hip and ran my finger back up to her collarbone and cheek, kissing her full lips softly.

"Happy birthday," she murmured.

"It has been the best one yet," I replied with a lazy smile, kissing her once more.

There you have it! Make my day with a review! I truly do love them!

Happy reading,

Avonmora