Hi all! Once more apologize for my delay. Per usual, I have no good excuse. I hope you are still around to read this. Enjoy!

Chapter Forty-Two (Aragorn)

My birthday passed after Mareke sent Baran away and to say that we did not enjoy it as much as we had the previous few would be a dreadful understatement.

Almost the second Baran was out of Minas Tirith, Mareke immediately began fretting that her father would not go along with what she had suggested and that he himself would show up to take Adnan back to Harad.

I tried to console her, but I had seen her like that before. Walls built up around her and I could not penetrate them. I could not get through to her to comfort her. Once more, Adnan noticed that his mother was acting strange.

"She is sad again," the boy said to me one evening when she had excused herself from the dining table, not having eaten much of her food at all.

I nodded, unable to share why his mother was in such a state. "She is going through a difficult time. She will come around soon," I promised, though I truly did not know if that was true.

It was not so much that she was sad, but that she was anxious, nearly too anxious to function properly.

"Is she upset with you?" Adnan asked.

I shook my head.

"With me?" he asked quietly.

"No, of course not," I said quickly to reassure him that his mother's state had nothing to do with any action he had taken. "When you are grown you will learn that there are some things that are out of your control, even for a King and Queen, and when those things come about it is very difficult to deal with."

"Like when I have to spend the afternoon with my Haradrim tutors instead of Legolas or Gimli?" Adnan asked brighty as though he understood. "That is out of my control."

I had to chuckle. "Yes, something like that."

The boy nodded, seemingly proud that he understood such adult matters. I was grateful once more that he did not ask too many clarifying questions.

Lady Belethiel had put Shuk to bed before the three of us had sat down to dinner and when Mareke did not reappear from our chambers, I took that to mean that I would see to Adnan's evening bath and making sure he got into bed.

He no longer required much tending to. He had his own lavatory in his bedroom and he headed that way when he was through with his second plate of food. As he stood, I noted the differences in the boy who stood before me at the other end of the table and the one who had come to Gondor when he was not yet four.

Adnan had lost all of his baby fat. His face was thinning out and his cheekbones and chin were sharp like his mother's. He was growing quite tall and all of his weaponry work with Gimli, Legolas, and myself was causing some muscle to form on the once soft body that I used to scoop into my arms and allow to sit on my lap.

I tried to think of the last time I had picked Adnan up and could not. My stomach sank. I had not made note of it mentally, but there had been a last time and it probably would never happen again.

"Are you alright, Strider?" Adnan asked, noticing that I was staring at him.

"Of course. Forgive me. My mind wandered to another time." I gave him a small smile, trying to keep it from looking too wistful. "Off to the bath with you, young man. And wash thoroughly or your mother will be after me if you still smell like horse in the morning."

Adnan laughed and made his way to his rooms.

A memory flashed through my mind.

The first birthday Adnan had spent in Minas Tirith, we had gone for a ride, Adnan on the new colt, Fahall, that I had gotten from Eomer. We had been ambushed by Orcs and I had been furious, but Adnan was not to be deterred from having his birthday dinner that evening. I had entered the bathroom where Mareke was overseeing his bath, when worry about Fahall overcame him and he stood up in the bath in all of his naked glory. Mareke and I had tried so hard not to laugh at his serious demeanor while he stood before us, water running down his chubby, brown body.

I sat back in my chair and smiled to myself thinking back on the four years that Adnan had been in my life. In those early days of my marriage to his mother, he was the silver lining when we could not get along and see eye to eye.

Someday, I promised myself, I would tell him all about what his coming and the subsequent years spent in Minas Tirith had meant to me. Perhaps when he was a man grown and facing dark times of his own for they would surely come. None could hide from the low points of life, not even the future King of Harad.

After a little more contemplation, I stood with a sigh and headed for our bedchambers. I found Mareke on our balcony, arms wrapped tightly about herself. It was not yet the time of balmy summer nights and I grabbed a light blanket as I made my way to her.

"You will catch a chill yet," I murmured as I wrapped the soft blanket around her shoulders. Her body did not tense under my hands and so I wrapped my arms around her as well, resting my chin on the crown of her head.

We stood in silence for a long while, staring out over Pelennor Field and the city below us.

Mareke's anxiousness was not as bad as moods she had sunk into before and I was able to speak with her in her moments of clarity.

"You have a life that must be lived even in these fluctuating times, my love," I said into her hair.

"I know," she whispered. "But I cannot make myself think of anything but my father's response to my message."

I tried to be gentle with her feelings for I could not imagine what she was feeling. The thought of losing Adnan tore at me, but I had not carried him within my body. I had not only had him after the War and upon moving to a new and foreign court to marry a strange man.

"If your father does not accept, then you should spend this time with our son," my voice was tender and my arms held her tighter against my chest. "He senses that something is amiss with you and I would hate for that to be his last memory of living with you. He should think back happily on all you shared during this time."

Mareke shifted in my arms so she was looking up at me, tears in her eyes.

I pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I am here for all of this, Mareke. I am dreading your father's response as well. Let me help you."

She nodded. "I will be better," she promised.

ooooOoooo

We had a few good weeks where Mareke was back to herself. She took over most of Shuk's care from Lady Belethiel and was much more engaged with Adnan when he was not in lessons. She even managed to speak to him in Haradrim without causing too much pain to herself.

My wife had always tried to maintain Adnan's memory of his native language, but it had lagged when everyone else around him spoke Sindarin. His lessons with his Haradrim tutors were conducted solely in their language and they implored Mareke to speak in their tongue when it was just the two of them. I overheard them on several occasions and once or twice glimpsed a pained expression on Mareke's face when she thought no one was watching. She was preparing her son to go back to their home where she would not be able to follow.

Shuk was happy to have his mother back and we seemed to settle, if temporarily, back into a fairly contented way of life.

I looked forward to coming back to our rooms in the evenings after long days of work. Mareke always greeted me at the door and the boys were typically playing in the sitting room behind her. Shuk would allow me to lift him above my head a few times before he was reaching for his mother once more.

"Do you think that will ever end?" I asked one evening as I handed our youngest back to his mother who he clung to for a long moment before wiggling down and going back to the blocks he had been entertaining himself with.

"I hope not," Mareke laughed lightly. She and I sat on the sofa and watched the two boys play on the floor. Despite where we had started with Adnan and Shuk, the elder was very protective and accommodating to his little brother. He was gentle with his words and actions and was constantly trying to teach Shuk something, despite his only being a toddler.

I looked at Mareke from the corner of my eye and caught the sad look on her face. "They will know one another always, Mareke." I said quietly so neither boy would hear.

She nodded.

"Think how nice it will be to send Shuk to Harad when he is of an age. He should know your home and culture and we might travel alone," I said, smiling over at her.

She allowed herself to smile as well. "It has been some time since we have done such a thing. It might be nice," she agreed. "Where would we go?"

I was glad that she was indulging in what may be a positive of the experience, though of course nothing would outweigh the fact that she was separated from her son. We had not often spent time alone together.

"Wherever you like," I responded, eyes still on our sons. Adnan was gently correcting the last block Shuk had placed on their tower.

Mareke thought for a long moment. "I would like to see everything you did."

I knew she was referring to my travels with the Fellowship. "You might not want to see everything."

"Perhaps not," she agreed. "But perhaps the nicer places."

I nodded. "We could go to Rivendell and Lothlorien."

Her eyes shot to mine, worry creasing her features.

In truth, in the last few years, I had not given much thought to my previous life. The one that I had been so skeptical, if not hostile, towards in the beginning had turned out much better than I had expected. There were children and a woman I loved very much. Though there had been difficult times, such as what we were living through then, there were times of such joy and elation that I could hardly believe it was my life.

"Those places are practically deserted now," I said. "But you should still see them." I tried to steer the conversation away from what may bother her. "We could go back to Rohan. Eomer and Lothiriel would enjoy that and I would like to see them more often than we do. I am sure Legolas and Gimli would be happy to show you their homes."

The smile came back to Mareke's face. "The possibilities are endless."

I heard dinner being set on the dining table behind us and Adnan and I rose. The boy was always hungry. Shuk made his way to his mother and she lifted him onto her hip.

Mareke settled our youngest on her lap at the table. I could not help, but smile even as I scolded them both.

"It shall be very hard for him to find a wife if he insists on sitting on your lap when he is grown."

Mareke laughed, not taking me seriously at all.

"Who would want such a thing?" she asked as she nuzzled against the rolls of Shuk's neck. He squealed in delight and then buried his face in her chest to escape her tickling while she fixed a plate for the both of them.

I reveled in the normalness of the scene and the heavy contentment that fell over me to have my entire family gathered around a meal and all seemingly happy.

ooooOoooo

Those contented times slipped away as we got nearer and nearer to when we assumed we would hear back from Hashad. It had been nearly two months since Baran had been sent away and I was honestly surprised that a messenger or the King of Harad himself had not shown up in Minas Tirith.

Mareke lost whatever focus she had had and I had no idea how to bring her back to the present instead of her constant state of fretting about the future.

For a few days, I hosted delegations from princedoms around Gondor and Arnor to look over old agreements we had in regards to making sure every leader and their people had enough at various points throughout the year and what could be sent to Minas Tirith where the most people resided throughout the entire Reunited Realm.

On the first night, we were hosting a dinner to welcome all of the leaders. I was running late to join my family after a particularly long and arduous council session to make sure that we were all on the same page before we met with those from outside the city.

As I entered the rooms, Adnan was sitting at the dining table trying, with some difficulty, to read a book his Haradrim tutors had assigned. He could speak the language fairly well thanks to his mother always having kept it up, but he had never learned to read it and now it was somewhat of a struggle.

I sat down across from him.

"Mama is still getting ready with Lady Ioreth," he said, without looking up.

I studied him as his little brow creased in concentration.

"It is very impressive that you will soon be able to read and speak two languages quite fluently," I said quietly, attempting to encourage him as I could see that he was becoming frustrated.

He sighed and put his forehead on the book. I tried to hide my smile.

"It seems very silly since I will always live here," he grumbled.

My stomach sank and the smile immediately slid from my face. I could not lie to the boy and agree with him so I remained silent on that front.

"You will learn this and it will not be so troublesome," I said instead.

Luckily, Mareke came out of her rooms with Shuk on her hip at that moment and so Adnan and I's conversation could not continue.

"I am sorry I am running so late," she fretted as she went hurrying across the dining room towards the nursery. "I just have to get him dressed and we will be ready." She said something quickly to Adnan in Haradrim and he immediately straightened up and smoothed his tunic and ran his fingers through his hair.

"See? Now your mother can command you in two languages," I laughed, though I was not truly feeling very humorous. "That is nice."

Adnan scowled at me, but he broke and smiled as well. In that instant, I found myself silently beseeching anyone who might be listening to let Adnan remain with his mother and I for a while longer.

Mareke emerged quickly, Shuk toddling along behind her.

I raised an eyebrow in the toddler's direction. He was wearing the strangest outfit. His breeches were green and his tunic was red and it made my eyes hurt.

"Mareke," I said as gently as I could. "What is our son wearing?"

Her eyes immediately shot to Adnan, always worried about him in any capacity in those days.

"The other one."

"He looks ridiculous, Mama!" Adnan exclaimed.

"Adnan," I chided, but I looked up at Mareke as she seemed to take in what she had dressed Shuk in.

My wife swiped a hand over her face and I snatched it as it fell back to her side. I pulled her down onto my lap.

"If you are not up for this, you and Shuk can stay here and relax," I said so only she could hear.

She looked down at me with a deep sigh.

"I can make the appropriate excuses," I promised.

"Are you sure?" She whispered.

I nodded and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "Of course. And I will make this a short evening."

Mareke looked grateful for that as she rose from my lap.

Part of me hated to leave her there alone with Shuk and her thoughts, but part of me knew that she needed to figure herself out as best she could. As the rulers of Gondor we had lives that could not ever be put completely on hold.

"Come Adnan. We have a diplomatic dinner to tend to and I shall need your help."

The boy stood and looked at me eagerly, ready to take on the task.

"Are you not coming, Mama?"

Mareke shook her head. "I am not feeling so well. Arathorn and I will stay here tonight. So you must take my place and help Strider entertain our guests, do you understand? It is a very important job to ensure that they have an enjoyable visit here in Minas Tirith."

Adnan's eyes got wide and he nodded at his mother. "I will do my best."

She pressed a kiss to his forehead. "I know you will."

ooooOoooo

I returned later than I intended that night after a very successful evening. Adnan had been quite the entertainer, promising to show the leaders his leopard the following day as well as his Rohirric stallion if they would like. The men had been quite impressed with the seven-year-old's conversational skills. He had truly taken his mother's words to heart.

I nudged him towards his room when we entered the royal chambers. "I will cancel your lesson in the morning," I whispered. "After such a diplomatic performance I think you deserve to sleep in."

Adnan beamed at me, throwing his arms around my middle before hurrying off to his bed.

"How was the evening?" Mareke asked me when I entered our bedroom. She was sitting on the small sofa before the fire.

"It was a wild success. You should have seen Adnan," I said with a smile. "Heard him more like. He very nearly did not stop talking long enough to eat, very out of character for him, but the princes found him quite amusing."

"Take my mind from this," she said abruptly as though she had not been listening to a word I said.

Upon closer inspection, I could see the tear tracks that ran down her cheeks.

"Mareke?"

"Take my mind from this," she looked up at me and I could see how vulnerable she was and perhaps also how crazed she had made herself, locked away in her own mind with the worries she constantly carried.

I sat down next to her and she immediately wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me deeply.

I was not sure if what I was about to do was right or wrong, but I could not resist her under any circumstances and so I kissed her back.

Surprisingly, she responded to my touch as I kissed her jaw and down her neck, pushing her robe off of her shoulders as I went.

Mareke pressed herself against me as I took a bare breast into my mouth. She gasped in pleasure. Even when she had been content in those few weeks we had not been intimate.

I stood and lifted her under her dark, creamy thighs. She wrapped her legs around my waist as I carried her to our bed.

I laid her gently down and she stared up at me hungrily. Mareke undid the tie of her robe, exposing her entire body to me. I felt myself swell with need and I tore my tunic and undershirt off, fumbling to untie my breeches.

"Hurry, please," she begged, reaching for me.

I bent over her and kissed from her breasts to her hips before I could handle our separation no longer and plunged into her.

Mareke cried out and arched her back and I had to close my eyes so as not to see such an enticing sight and end our lovemaking early.

We carried on, both unaware that someone had joined us.

"Mama, what doing?"

I yelled in fright, looking down at the foot of the bed to see Shuk, looking back at me just as startled.

Quickly, I snatched a blanket out from under Mareke and wrapped myself in it, chest heaving.

"Arathorn!" Mareke exclaimed as she wrapped herself back in her robe.

Before she could ask him anything, he had burst into tears.

"You frightened him," she scolded me as she rose.

"Oh, I frightened him," I huffed. I knew my face was red from exertion and embarrassment.

"Sshh." She lifted him onto her hip and stroked his curls. "Papa did not mean to frighten you," she soothed. She glanced back at me as she left the room to put Shuk back in his crib.

I fell into the bed, chest still rising and falling rapidly. I ran my hands through my sweat soaked hair.

"Did you know he could get out of his crib?" I asked, when Mareke returned.

She burst out laughing. It was the first time I had heard her truly laugh in longer than I could remember.

"I am glad you are finding some amusement in this," I mumbled.

"Do not fret. He does not understand what he saw," she said, trying to catch her breath from her mirth. "He will not remember it in the morning."

"There is that at least," I grumbled. "Though I will certainly remember this until death claims me."

Mareke settled herself in the bed against my side, her body still quivering with giggles.

"We speak of this no more," I said, as I pressed a kiss into her wild curls.

ooooOoooo

The next morning we were woken painfully early, even by my standards, by a knock at the door.

"If that is your son again, I am going to chain his door shut at night," I said grouchily. It had been a short night.

"Arathron would not bother to knock. You know that now," she replied, standing and pulling her robe on. She opened the door and Lady Ioreth was standing there.

"Your Majesty, a letter has come from Harad. I thought you would want me to bring it straight away all things considered."

Apparently, Mareke had confided in her ladies maid.

"Of course. Thank you so much, Lady Ioreth."

Mareke shut the door when the woman left and I could see how the hand holding the letter shook as she approached the bed.

"I cannot read it," Mareke said as she held it out to me. "I might be ill."

I thought it a good omen that her father had not come himself. Surely that meant that Adnan might stay in Minas Tirith.

I broke the wax seal of the sun and unrolled the parchment, skimming it quickly.

"Your father will let Adnan remain with us until he is ten," I said, looking up at Mareke. I set the letter down and reached out a hand for her.

"Until he is ten," she repeated.

"That is better than right now," I said gently.

"But not what I asked for."

I had no response, not a good one away. "No."

Mareke sighed deeply and collapsed next to me, her face buried in my shoulder, hot tears searing my skin.

ooooOoooo

Adnan's eight birthday came quickly after the letter from Harad. It was a difficult day for Mareke. I could see that she held back her tears throughout the day as she realized that a two year countdown began that day..

As had become tradition, we went on a picnic ride all four of us and then returned for a larger celebration than we had had for Adnan in years past.

After the incident with the other young boy at Shuk's last birthday celebration, things had settled among his peers and he had many friends. We had decided to invite all of them and their parents which turned out to be most of the nobles in Minas Tirith.

Mareke was not herself. She hardly spoke to anyone, even Vanya.

"Would you two join me for a mug of ale?" I asked Legolas and Gimli.

They both nodded and we left the high table and headed for the ale cask.

"The Queen needs something added to her life in light of this recent news," I said. "And for a long time I have been thinking that it is time I take a leaf from Eomer-King's book and ask her to join my council as the Queens of Rohan always have."

They both looked at me. Gimli seemed a bit surprised, but Legolas was giving me one of his soft, encouraging smiles.

"I think she has all of the qualities and she has done much for the Realm already in her works for the orphanage," I reinforced my idea.

Legolas nodded. "I think it is a wonderful idea. She would be very useful to you and it would do her heart good to have another cause." His brow furrowed slightly. "There will be opposition though."

Gimli had apparently come around to the idea quite quickly. "To hell with the opposition! Mareke is a good deal smarter than those imbeciles you have kept around you all this time! And I warrant she would be a good deal more helpful. I have heard her ideas. There is always opposition, so do not let it get in your way this time."

I nodded my agreement.

There you have it! Please let me know what you thought! I love to get feedback from readers and it helps me to continue on when I have zero motivation. I love everything but hate comments and flames. Send me ideas for fluffy little snippets for this family before Adnan leaves!

Happy reading,

Avonmora