Hi everyone! Here is the newest update! I don't feel like it took too long to get this one up, especially considering I've started a new fic (HP if you're interested). This one will remain my priority as I've already put so much energy and time into and I want to see it to the end. Anywho, enjoy!

Chapter Thirty-Nine (Mareke)

A month passed and peace stole over the four of us. I had not had one nightmare since Aragorn and I's admission of our mutual strong feelings for each other.

We spent our days exploring the settlement, boating, swimming, and wandering through the hills and forests.

We ate dinner as a family every night. Not once did we dine publicly. Aragorn decided against inviting the court to Annunimas at all and would only send for the council during the last month of our stay when it was imperative for Faramir and Eowyn to return to Ithilien to prepare for the birth of their second child.

Until then, we were to be alone until Legolas and Gimli arrived.

There had been no further attempts at intimacy between Aragorn and I and I found myself wondering what it would take to get that part of our lives back.

I knew he felt guilty for what he had accepted from me, though we had not said a word about it after the fact.

I felt guilty for the fears I could not shake. And so we stayed away from the matter entirely.

The temperatures cooled down even more as summer faded into autumn, but that did not stop our sons from wanting to be outside.

"I think we shall stay until just after your birthday. Have one last family event with just us before we return to Minas Tirith for Yule and the New Year."

"That is a long time, Aragorn," I replied, lacing my fingers through his as we walked along our favorite forest path late one afternoon, Adnan and Arathorn running ahead of us. "We can go back whenever you need to."

Aragorn chuckled. "That is when I need to go back."

"Then I think that sounds wonderful." Truthfully, I did not know if I would be able to tear myself away from the place that had offered such peace and comfort for my family.

"We will come back every summer," Aragorn said, seemingly reading my mind.

I nodded and rested my head on his shoulder, trailing behind our sons. My husband pressed a light kiss to my temple and squeezed my hand.

After a while, we turned around and headed for our temporary home on the lake for dinner.

Arathorn was running as fast as he could on his chubby, unsteady legs trying to keep up with his brother. He caught his toe on a protruding root and went sprawling face first onto the dirt path.

I rushed toward him, but Aragorn grabbed my arm and held me back. I looked up at him, puzzled and a little irritated. "Wait," he said gently.

Still wanting to pick him up myself, I watched anxiously as Adnan hauled his brother to his feet and brushed off the front of his tunic.

Arathorn looked at his hands which were scuffed and bleeding. He turned to me and his bottom lip was poking out and trembling.

His father released his hold on my arm when Arathron hurried to me, crying in earnest. I knelt down and wrapped him in my arms, soothing him with words and soft touches while he cried into my neck.

When he had calmed a bit, I took his tiny hands in mine and brushed the dirt from them before kissing each palm.

I rose and Arathorn reached up for me to carry him.

"May I?" I asked Aragorn sarcastically.

"Mareke," he sighed as I lifted our son onto my hip.

"He is not yet two," I said. "I will coddle him for a while longer yet. You have most of his life to toughen him and mold him into a warrior. Mothers have a short few years with their sons before they go into the hands of their fathers."

"Hush," Aragorn said, catching up with me as I began to walk up the path again. "I am not trying to take him from you. I may never be able to get this one to leave you for lessons." He put an arm around my waist.

I did not want to , but I smiled. "I could be so lucky."

Watching Adnan in front of us, holding Arathorn in my arms, and having Aragorn's arm around me, everything just felt right.

We sat down for dinner upon our return and Arathorn refused to sit by himself so his father fed him where sat on my lap. After only a few bites, he was fast asleep against my chest.

"I am not sure I have ever faced a greater peril, but I will put him to bed," Aragorn said, lifting Arathorn out of my arms.

I laughed quietly, knowing that if our son woke to Aragorn putting him in bed he would scream loud enough for the whole town to hear.

"Can we go on a ride soon, Mama?" Adnan asked when Aragorn and Arathorn had disappeared into the nursery.

"I am sure Aragorn would love to take you tomorrow," I told him with a gentle smile.

Adnan shook his head. "I want you to go. Just you and I."

Rarely did my son want to be with just me. Of course he had missed me in my absence, but he was of an age where Aragorn had more interesting knowledge and experience to offer.

Though riding was still not my favorite pastime, I agreed quickly.

Aragorn had not emerged from the nursery when Adnan finished eating. I imagined he was being very careful in stripping Arathorn down so as not to wake him.

"Read to me?" Adnan asked as we stood to go to his room.

"Of course, my love." I ran my fingers through his curls before I settled myself in his bed as he changed into his linen sleeping outfit.

He got under the covers next to me, handed me his favorite story, and rested his head on my shoulder.

I began to read, but could not focus on the story. Instead, I relished my son's weight against me and the sound of his steady breathing.

The times when he wanted me were few and far between and so I was intent on soaking up every moment.

Midway through the story, Aragorn poked his head into the room. When Adnan did not say anything or move I knew he had to be fast asleep.

My husband gave me a small smile and a wink before he disappeared.

I did not move for a long while even though Adnan was no longer awake. I gently set the book on the nightstand.

Eventually, after holding my son for a while longer, I slipped from the bed and adjusted Adnan so he was lying down and covered up. He rolled over with a groan.

When I entered my bedroom, I smiled to see that Aragorn had fallen asleep as well. I changed as quietly as I could and gently slipped into bed beside my husband.

He did not wake, but instinctively reached for me, pulling my back to his chest.

I drifted to sleep with a smile on my face.

ooooOoooo

Three days later, I was on my ride with just Adnan. I had put Arathorn down for his nap so that he would not throw a fit for Aragorn. I knew he would wake before we returned, but that would be less time for Aragorn to have to try and soothe him.

"Adnan, I cannot believe how well you sit your horse," I told him as we rode in a circle around the lake.

"Eomer and Eowyn would be proud of me," he said with a grin.

"They would be very proud," I agreed with a laugh.

We rode into the forest, guards trailing us and eventually we stopped at a clearing and laid a blanket down to enjoy an afternoon snack.

"I am glad you asked me to ride with you," I told him as I sliced a piece of cheese for him.

He just smiled at me and for the first time in a long time, I was struck with how much he looked like his father.

"Shuk just likes to have your attention a lot," he said, looking away.

"I know he does. And you are a very good big brother to let him have so much of my time. That is very mature of you," I said quietly. "But time away from me is good for him and it is very good for you and I if we get to spend it together. We can make more time for activities just the two of us, if you like?"

"Even when we go back to Minas Tirith?"

"Even when we go back to Minas Tirith," I promised. "I think that sounds wonderful."

Adnan grinned at me and the likeness to his father nearly took my breath away. On his next birthday he would be eight. I could not believe how much time had passed in Gondor. More and more he lost his baby fat and thinned out, but also added a little bit of muscle from his archery and swordplay lessons.

"Are you alright, Mama?" Adnan asked, when he caught me studying him.
"I am just fine. Just admiring how handsome you are."

We finished our snack and remounted our horses, heading back to see how Aragorn and Arathorn fared. Adnan chattered the whole way about what we would do when we returned to Minas Tirith.

As we made our way back to our chambers all was silent.

"I do not hear your brother. What do you think that means?"

Adnan shrugged.

Arathorn could not have been still sleeping, we had been gone for nearly three hours, and it was unlikely that Aragorn would have been able to calm him down.

We pushed the door to the sitting room open to investigate further.

"Gimli! Legolas!" Adnan exclaimed, running toward the newcomers excitedly.

I headed toward them as well. Legolas held Arathorn on his hip. "I knew there had to be a reason I did not hear him screaming for his father."

Legolas laughed. "Well that is how I found them, but with a little Elvish coaxing, he straightened up."

Arathorn reached for me and I could see that his face was puffy and his eyes were red.

"You are just fine, my little love," I murmured to him.

"How will I ever get that one to my lessons?" Gimli asked with a smile. "I will have to pry him from your hip when he is Adnan's age."

Aragorn laughed and I shot him a look.

"Do not say such things about him," I said, kissing Arathorn's chubby cheek. "It is not a bad thing to love one's mother."

When he was completely settled, he wiggled out of my arms and went to play with Adnan while Gimli and Legolas filled Aragorn and I in on what we had been missing in Minas Tirith.

The council had been fairly calm, nothing too contentious had come up in our absence, and the court was only fairly angry that no one had been invited to join us in Annuminas.

"Vanya will be after you when she sees you," Gimli said to me.

"Yes she was quite irate that not even she and Beinion had been invited to join you," Legolas added.

I had to laugh. It sounded very on character for Vanya.

"And how have you all been?" Gimli asked, eyeing me in particular.

"You will have to drag me back to Minas Tirith," I said with a laugh. Aragorn sat down on the sofa next to me and draped his arm across my shoulder.

"You look well," Legolas said.

"Doesn't she?" Aragorn asked, pressing a kiss to my cheek.

I had to smile. "I feel well," I assured the Elf. "I believe this place was just what I needed."

"It is surely something," Gimli said.

ooooOoooo

We had a month left in Annuminas after Gimli and Legolas arrived. As Aragorn had desired, we left the boys with them often, though his council had arrived as well. In Annuminas though, he granted them perhaps a quarter of the time he had to in Minas Tirith. It was to be a retreat and a respite even with the council's presence. He was firm on that point.

The leaves were changing colors and the place took on a whole new beauty. Aragorn and I strolled around for hours a day, took a blanket for lunch, bought food and other treats in the small market, and a couple of times took a boat out by ourselves.

"This has been so strange," I said, one afternoon as we walked along a forest path. "I do not remember another time in my life when I had so little to do."

Aragorn laughed. "And is that good or bad?"

"I am not sure yet."

Aragorn pinched my arm lightly.

"It is good!" I corrected. "It means you are the only thing occupying my time."

"Then that sounds very good," Aragorn said as he spread a blanket in a clearing. "And it sounds like you are a very lucky lady."

"Some might say that," I returned as I laid down next to him and rested my head on his shoulder.

"And what do you say, my Queen?" He ran his fingers through my wild curls.

"I say that I am the luckiest lady."

His chest rumbled against my cheek and I smiled. I propped my chin on his shoulder so I could look up into his gray eyes. I pressed a kiss to his lips and stroked his stubbled cheek. "I love you," I whispered. "And I am grateful for you."

He stared back at me wordlessly for a moment. "I had no idea what to expect when you came to Gondor all those years ago, Mareke. Never in a million years would I have guessed that we would have ended up here. But I am so happy we did. You have been the greatest blessing in my life. And my sons' lives. All three of us are lucky to have you."

I had to wipe a tear away when he was through.

Aragorn laughed again. "None of that. I love you." He pressed my head back onto his shoulder and we remained quiet for a long while.

I woke to a chill breeze and I cuddled closer to Aragorn. He was stroking my hair once more and so I sat up slowly and looked down at him. "Who do we think we are, taking a nap in the middle of the day?"

Aragorn chuckled as he sat up next to me. "The King and Queen and Gondor? I thought we could do whatever we like."

I took a deep breath and stretched my arms above my head. Once more I put my head on his shoulder, looping my arms around my knees.

He shifted underneath me and took my face in his hands, kissing me deeply, tangling his fingers in my dark hair. I let him kiss me for a long while, but then I pulled away.

"The boys will be missing us," I whispered.

"The boys will be missing you," he corrected with a small smile. He stood and pulled me to my feet before gathering up the blanket.

I looped my arm through his and we made our way back to our boys.

ooooOoooo

I woke on the morning of my birthday to the door being opened and hushed voices.

"Adnan, you are going to spill that juice everywhere," Aragorn whispered.

"Shuk pushed me," Adnan shot back. "Shuk stop it!"

"Boys," Aragorn hissed. He must have been distracted because the door closed loudly behind them.

"Well good morning," I said, rubbing my eyes and sitting up to see Aragorn carrying a laden down tray of food. Adnan carried a large jug of fruit juice and a few glasses.

Arathorn toddled toward me and thrust out a handful of wildflowers. They were rather wilted and crushed from his rough handling of them, but I took them anyway and buried my nose in them. "Thank you! They smell wonderful!" I laid them on the bedside table and hauled Arathorn into bed with me.

I looked at my husband and burst out laughing. "You look rather flustered."

"You have no idea," he said with a weary smile. "I thought this would be much more simple. I wanted to wake you up peacefully and instead we seem to have come crashing into our bedroom."

"You are so adorable," I said. "Nothing is simple with these two."

Adnan growled at me. "But it is worth it. And this looks lovely."

My eldest set the jug and glasses on the nightstand and then clumsily tried to pour the juice. Aragorn sucked his breath in sharply as he spilled a little bit.

I was handed the first glass and Adnan gave me a huge, proud smile. "Happy birthday, Mama."

"Thank you, my love." I patted the bed next to me and he climbed up before Aragorn sat the the tray over my legs.

He sat on the edge of the bed, pushing my messy curls away from my face and kissing me deeply. "Happy birthday, wife."

I ate what little breakfast I could get before Adnan devoured most of it.

"We have quite the day planned for you," Aragorn said. "So you had better get dressed." He took the tray away and pulled the blankets back.

That day was one of the happiest of my life. We walked through the market and snacked on all of the treats we could get our hands on, we had lunch on the balcony even though it was chilly, we walked through the forest, and then we had a hearty dinner with Gimli and Legolas.

"Next year we will be here for Adnan's birthday," Aragorn said.

I smiled at my eldest. "You will have to think of how we are going to celebrate," I told him.

"Just like this," he said eagerly. "This was a perfect day."

Adnan toddled around from where he had been sitting on a stack of books in a chair next to Legolas, the only other person who could keep him calm it seemed. I lifted him into my lap and ran my fingers through his feather soft curls. "It was a perfect day, was it not?"

We finished dinner and Legolas and Gimli offered to put the boys to bed, but I shook my head. "That would be the perfect end to my day so I shall do it."

Aragorn and I took Arathorn into his nursery first. I stripped him down and then put a linen sleeping shirt on him before laying him in his crib and covering him, protecting him from the chill fall air that blew through our home.

I felt Aragorn's hand on my lower back as we both leaned over the crib. I stroked Arathorn's cheek until his eyes began to droop. Finally, I thought he was well enough asleep that we could go to Adnan.

Our eldest had tucked himself in, but he was waiting for us to say goodnight.

I sat on the edge of his bed and wrapped him tightly in my arms. "Thank you so much for such a lovely day," I said, kissing his forehead. "It was absolutely perfect."

"I had fun too. Happy birthday. I love you, Mama."

"I love you too."

I hugged him once more before I rose and headed for the door. Pausing in the doorway, I watched as Aragorn bent over and pressed a kiss to Adnan's forehead, pulling the covers to his chin.

"Thank you for helping me plan today. I think it was a huge success," he whispered. Aragorn ushered me out of the room and closed the door gently.

"What would you say to a goblet of wine on the balcony?" Aragorn asked me.

"I would say that sounds lovely."

I grabbed a heavy blanket from the sitting room and met Aragorn on the balcony. I sat on the stone bench next to him and covered both of us with the blanket, taking a goblet of wine from him.

We sat in silence for a while, both staring at the stars in the clear night sky. "This is beautiful," I said.

"Yes it is," Aragorn said quietly.

I turned and he was staring at me.

"You are exquisite," he murmured. "All day today I could not stop staring at you."

I shook my head with a smile.

"No, truly. You are always beautiful, but today there was something else. You looked at peace."

"I was at peace. Completely," I said. "It was such a blessing to be able to spend the day with just you and the boys."

"So twenty-seven was a good birthday?"

"It was an amazing birthday," I corrected him. "But I lied at dinner."

"You lied at dinner? About what?" Aragorn asked, leaning around to peer into my face, concerned.

"It being a perfect day."

"Was something wrong? Was something not to your liking?"

I shook myself. "No, but something is missing."

"Whatever it is, I will get it for you. Just tell me what you would like."

I took a deep breath and swallowed hard. "Make love to me."

"Mareke," he said softly.

"Make love to me," I repeated more firmly.

"Are you sure?"

I took a long drink from my wine goblet and then nodded.

Aragorn stood and pulled me to my feet, leading us into our bedroom where a fire was blazing. He kissed me, softly at first, and then with more of an urgency. He pushed my dress so that I was standing before him in just my slip.

"We do not have to do this," he said, pulling away for a moment.

"I want to," I assured him.

"You do not owe me this because you are my wife."

"I know that, Aragorn. I want to share this with you again. This is what you do when you love someone. So give me one last birthday gift."

He nodded and kissed me again, pushing me toward the bed until it caught behind my legs and I fell back onto the plush mattress.

My eyes met his as I pulled my slip over my head.

"You are breathtaking," he whispered. In the blink of an eye, he was out of his tunic and boots and was pushing his breeches off.

Aragorn settled himself between my legs and I looked up at him even as my heart was pounding. He stroked my hair and gazed down at me.

I stopped him before he could join us together. "I am not prepared to carry another child yet," I whispered so quietly I thought he might not have heard me. He stared at me for a long moment, before nodding and kissing my forehead. He then pushed into me.

I closed my eyes tightly as he began to move slowly. My body grew rigid and I wanted to scream, losing touch with where I was and who was touching me.

"Mareke," Aragorn said, pausing in his movements. His voice was low, soothing. "Look at me, Mareke. It is me. Your husband. I love you."

I opened my eyes slowly and looked up at him.

Gently, he maneuvered us so that I was straddling his hips and he was below me. "You need to be responsible for this."

"Alright," I whispered. His hands rested lightly on my hips and I began to move slowly, my dark hands on his chest.

He did not take his gray eyes off of me and I kept mine open.

"Talk to me," I whispered, not wanting to lose the feeling of comfort I had with him in that moment, but needing to be grounded and reminded that it was my husband's hands on my body.

"You are stunning," he said. "And I love you. And this. This feels absolutely perfect." He groaned.

With his words, I moved with more of a purpose and soon he was unable to speak and his hands tightened just slightly on my hips.

My nails were digging into his chest as I ground myself against him. Heat was building low in my stomach and all of a sudden it was travelling in waves to my fingers and toes. I cried out with the pure ecstasy.

Aragorn quickly lifted me off of him and I landed next to him as he moaned into his release.

I curled against his body and held onto him tightly. "Now this has been the perfect birthday," I breathed against his neck.

There you have it! I'd love to know what you thought. Your reviews truly make my day and make me want to keep writing. I'm open to any and all ideas as well so if you've got something you'd like to see (even if it's just a small fluffy scene) I'd be happy to hear it. I accept anything but hate comments and flames.

Happy reading,

Avonmora