Chapter 10

Annelise had just set down her brush when a knock sounded at her door. She quickly moved across the room and opened the door to reveal Legolas standing before her.

"You look beautiful, my lady," he spoke in greeting, and Annelise subconsciously swept her hand down the skirt of the deep navy dress that had been a gift from Arwen a few years before.

"And you look very handsome, my friend," she responded before gesturing for him to enter.

"I was hoping you would allow me the pleasure of escorting you down to dinner this evening. It has been far too long since you and I had a chance to speak."

"I would be delighted to have your company. Just give me a moment," she answered and moved to her vanity.

On top of the vanity, resting on a pillow, was a simple circlet of silver vines. Lord Elrond had given it to her decades before in acknowledgment of her titles, knowing that the circlet that had belonged to her father had been left in Erebor for safekeeping while she was gone on her many travels.

"Allow me," Legolas said, moving behind her and gently placing the circlet atop her head.

"Thank you," Annelise said, turning away from the mirror and taking the arm that Legolas extended to her. The elf led her out of her room and down the hall toward the formal dining room.

"You must be pleased to be reunited with your old friend," Legolas spoke suddenly with a growing smirk on his face.

"Yes, it has been quite some time since I've been able to see Bilbo," Annelise answered, feigning ignorance at the elf's leading statement.

"While I'm sure you've missed your dear Hobbit greatly, you know exactly who I meant. But," Legolas said as he threw a wink in her direction, "I'll allow you your secrets, my friend." Annelise allowed herself a mental sigh of relief but then the elf prince spoke once more.

"I will say, though, that he was even more evasive than you when I asked him the same question this afternoon."

Annelise couldn't contain her growing blush as she swatted his arm, causing Legolas to laugh to himself.

"Meddling elves," she mumbled under her breath, seeing the corner of his mouth lift once more in a smirk.

Upon entering the banquet hall, Legolas led her to the head table and pulled her chair out before seating himself to her left. She smiled when she saw Gloin and the other dwarves a little further down the table and tipped her head in acknowledgement when she met the older dwarf's gaze. The seat to her right was unoccupied, while Gandalf filled the seat beside it next to Lord Elrond.

After a quick glance around the room, Annelise decided that the empty seat beside her was for Aragorn, as he seemed to be the only person missing from the head table. She let out a small laugh when she spotted Merry and Pippin during her scan of the room and the two young Hobbits waved at her enthusiastically. Lord Elrond gave a short speech welcoming the guests before gesturing for the feast to begin and the Hobbits' attention was pulled to their plates.

Annelise ate her food slowly, conversing with the others seated around her. But her eyes were repeatedly drawn to the empty seat behind, wondering where he could be.

"He'll show up eventually," Legolas whispered after noting what was drawing her attention. "You know the burden he carries and what will likely come out tomorrow. He likely wanted one last night of anonymity."

Annelise let out a sigh and nodded, knowing that he was probably right. She knew how heavily the knowledge of his lineage weighed on him and believed, as she was sure he did as well, that he would not be able to remain in exile for much longer. His character would not allow it, not if it meant shielding others from the darkness.

Dinner progressed and eventually drew to a close as Lord Elrond announced that they should all move to the Hall of Fire for the remainder of the night's festivities. Legolas escorted her once more but once they passed into the Hall, she excused herself and made her way over to the Dwarves to greet them properly.

"Why, lass, seeing you standing before me, I could almost believe that you really are a princess," Gloin teased as she approached and Annelise laughed brightly, knowing the dwarf had seen her many times in less flattering states.

"I have to clean up every once in a while to remind everyone that I'm not a complete savage," Annelise teased back.

"As if anyone could believe that," Gloin responded. "Truthfully, lass, you shine like a diamond. Even when you're covered in mud. Your father would be proud."

Annelise smiled down at him with silver-lined eyes before joining him and the others at one of the small tables lining the hall. Music began to play lightly after a time and Annelise was quickly pulled into a dance by Merry and Pippin. They danced around her enthusiastically and after a few lively dances, she was finally able to plead exhaustion and join the dwarves once more.

As the evening drew on, the dancing slowed and Annelise was pulled into a dance by Legolas and passed through partners until the music finally ended and Elrond opened the floor for singing and recitation. She had noticed Bilbo sitting across the hall earlier in the evening working on some bit of writing and guessed he would be stepping up soon to deliver his new work. But his seat was now empty and she could not find him in her glances around the room.

Arwen had just finished a beautiful rendition of part of the Lay of Luthien, when she saw Bilbo re-enter the hall with Aragorn in tow to her surprise. She was about to make her way to his side, when a deep voice rumbled through the hall.

"A tale from our homeland of times long past. As it is a favorite of hers, we sing this now in honor of our princess, who is ever loved and missed Under the Mountain."

With the words, Gloin and his companions began a deep, haunting melody that entranced Annelise immediately.

'Far over the Misty Mountains cold, to dungeons deep and caverns old…'

As the beautiful melody echoed through the silenced hall, she found herself swept up in memories. It wasn't until a hand wrapped tightly around her own that she realized tears were streaming down her face. Her eyes remained fixed on the dwarves standing before her, but the familiar scent of leather and forest told her it was Aragorn standing next to her.

'We must away; we must away! We ride before the break of day!'

As the last notes of the song echoed through the hall, there were spatterings of quiet applause and murmurs of appreciation as the dwarves made their way toward their princess and bowed low before her in respect. Annelise wasn't able to form words but tipped her head in thanks. Gloin grabbed her hand and patted it gently as he looked on her tears in concern, but she managed to give him a slight smile in reassurance as the other dwarves made their way back to their table and another performer stepped forward.

Annelise was drawn back to the present as a hand gently wiped away some of the tears that were still flowing down her face. She looked over and saw it was indeed Aragorn standing next to her, holding her hand and giving her a look of understanding and sadness. In all their years together, Aragorn had witnessed many moments when the grief of her past overwhelmed her and seeing her in pain was always difficult for him.

"Come," he whispered softly, tugging on her hand and leading her out of the hall.

Annelise followed willingly, marveling that he understood her so well that he knew exactly what she needed without her needing to say anything. He led her silently through the halls until the sounds of the festivities finally faded from their hearing, slowing as they reached the library. Aragorn led her over to a chaise on the edge of the open space, just behind the pedestal that held the Shards of Narsil.

Annelise had found him often in this same spot and was unsurprised to see a book still laying on the seat that he lifted as he drew her to sit next to him. He kept hold of her hand as she lay her head against his shoulder, finding comfort in his solid strength beside her. After sitting in silence for a time, she murmured that she was going to find a book for herself and he settled into the chaise.

His book was open in his hands but he found his eyes continually drawn to the form wandering among the bookcases before him. The light of the full moon streamed through the many openings in the library and illuminated her pale features while simultaneously making her hair look as dark as the night sky, seemingly crowned in starlight as the same light glinted off the circlet atop the black curtain. But he was suddenly drawn from his musings as a broad form moved through the room.

Aragorn quickly recognized him as Boromir, son of the steward of Gondor, according to Lord Elrond. Aragorn couldn't help but feel the weight of his lineage as he watched the man from his city gaze upon the depiction of Isildur facing the Dark Lord. While he feared the weakness that flowed through his blood and through all the race of Men, he knew that his time was quickly approaching and that he would meet it head on.

'There is too much to lose to risk faltering now,' he thought to himself, as his eyes were unconsciously drawn back to the woman near him. She too seemed to have noticed the arrival of the man from Gondor and was watching his movements with curiosity. The man turned suddenly, seeming to sense that he was not alone and his eyes found the form of Aragorn reclined on the chaise, though he seemed to have missed Annelise's presence.

"You are no elf?," Boromir questioned, looking at the clothes Aragorn was wearing that were clearly of Elven make.

"The Men of the South are welcome here," Aragorn responded simply, dipping his head in greeting.

"Who are you?"

"I am a friend to Gandalf the Grey," Aragorn answered cryptically and Annelise had to hold in a chuckle at his non-answers.

"Then we are here on common purpose, friend," Boromir responded, looking at Aragorn for a moment before turning to the pedestal next to him and moving towards it to see what lay upon it.

"The Shards of Narsil," the man exclaimed in disbelief and Annelise found herself holding back a gasp at his casual handling of the ancient blade. "The blade that cut the Ring from Sauron's hand."

She turned her eyes quickly toward Aragorn as the man cut the tip of his finger on the shattered edge of the blade and saw that he was staring intently at the man handling the blade of his ancestor.

"Still sharp," Boromir murmured to himself, before sensing eyes upon him. First he looked up and finally noticed Annelise standing in the shadows, staring at him in reproof. He quickly averted his eyes and met the steely gaze of Aragorn, causing him to swallow slightly.

"But no more than a broken heirloom," he ended, setting the blade down quickly.

This time Annelise was unable to hold back her gasp, as the hilt of the blade fell and clanged loudly on the ground. Boromir paused for a moment as if to pick up the fallen sword but then continued moving, leaving the two others in silence.

As soon as Boromir was out of sight, Aragorn swiftly stood and moved to pick up the sword. Annelise moved slowly toward him as he held it in his hand for a moment before he moved up the dias and laid the blade upon the pedestal gently. As he stepped down, he placed his hand over his heart reverently and Annelise finally moved to his side, placing a hand on his arm.

"Estel," she whispered softly, drawing his gaze down to her face. "Why do you fear the past? You are Isildur's heir, not Isildur himself. You are not bound to his fate."

"The same blood flows through my veins. The same weakness," he answered, pulling away from her slightly but she was quick to follow and grabbed onto his hands tightly.

"In all these years we have known each other, my dearest friend, I have seen your heart," she whispered emphatically, moving a hand to his face to lift his eyes to meet hers. "I have watched as you guide our people, as you sacrifice so much for others that are completely unaware. Your time will come. We both know it is approaching. You will face the same evil. And you will defeat it."

"The Shadow does not hold sway yet," she said gently, as she met his searching gaze. "Not over you, not over me."

"You told me once that this day would come," he whispered.

"And we will face it together. In this, as in all else," she spoke with conviction before looking toward the sword. "It is time."

Aragorn followed her gaze and understood her meaning. It was time for him to accept his birthright and speak to Lord Elrond, to reforge the sword and begin his first steps.

Aragorn stared down at her for a moment before nodding and reaching up to gently grab the hand that still rested on his cheek. He cradled it against his face for a moment longer before pulling it away slightly and pressing a lingering kiss on her palm.

"My most dear and treasured friend," he whispered softly to her, before gathering her to him tightly and burying his face against her neck. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, offering him as much comfort as she could. The moments where he could be truly vulnerable were so rare, so she refused to move from the embrace until he was finally ready.

After a few minutes, he held her tighter for a moment before slowly releasing her, though he didn't step away fully. She simply moved her hand down his arm and grabbed his hand, pulling him once more to the chaise where his book lay abandoned.

"Read to me?," she requested simply. In a silent answer, he grabbed his book and walked them over to a large sofa. He sat down first, leaning against the arm of the couch with one leg still on the ground before pulling her to sit before him. For a moment, she was tense at the new position she found herself in but as he began reading from the book he held in one hand as the other ideally twisted in her hair, she found herself leaning back into his chest.

She was sure he could hear how wildly her heart was beating and as she lay back against him, she found that she was able to feel the steady rhythm of his own heart. She was gratified at least to notice that his heart rate seemed slightly more elevated than would be considered normal, but she pushed that thought quickly out of her head before she started obsessing over the reason. She knew the reason why her own heart was beating so quickly, even if she refused to acknowledge it, but she doubted that his was for the same reason.

Soon the gentle tones of his voice and the vibrations of it through his chest began lulling her to sleep and within minutes her head was resting fully in the space between his neck and shoulder. Aragorn continued reading nonetheless, savoring the closeness of her small form and her soft breaths against his neck.

A couple chapters later, he silently shut the book and placed it on the floor before turning his gaze down to the woman sleeping in his arms. His eyes drank in the spattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks and watched in fascination as her eyelashes fluttered slightly from dreams. 'So beautiful,' he thought to himself, sighing as he moved a small piece of hair that had fallen across her face.

After a while, he suddenly realized how late it was and shifted to lift her in his arms. She only stirred for a moment before nestling closer to his chest and sighing contentedly against him. He had frozen when she shifted and smiled down at her softly as he watched her settle against him once more. In that moment, he realized that he could no longer deny that he was in love with his dearest friend and had been from almost the moment she came back into his life.

He began making his way toward her room, walking slowly both to keep from jostling her with his movement and to prolong the opportunity to hold her in his arms. He made it almost all the way to the wing their rooms were in without seeing anyone but as he turned down their hall, he was met with the sight of a familiar golden head. Legolas turned at the sound of his approach and smiled when he took in the sight of the sleeping woman.

"Good evening, my friend," the elf prince whispered as Aragorn approached. "I wondered where Annelise had wandered off to, but now I see I had no cause to worry."

Aragorn simply looked down at the woman sleeping in his arms and Legolas instantly noticed the softening of the man's face as he gazed upon the object of his affection.

"You need to tell her," Legolas whispered and Aragorn looked up at him in surprise.

"There is no need to look so shocked. Not everyone has been as blind to your hearts as you two have been," Legolas said with a twinkle in his eye.

Aragorn instantly caught that the elf was not just speaking of him, but of Annelise as well. He hadn't dared to dream that she might return his affection but after their interactions since reuniting, he couldn't help but hope that the elf's words might be true.

"I will," he said finally. "When the time is right."

"The time may never be right, my friend," Legolas whispered sadly. "Do not make the mistake of holding back until it is too late. It is later than you think."

Aragorn watched as his longtime friend turned away and entered his chambers. Annelise had told him once of the red-haired elleth that had captured the attention of the elf prince long ago. Legolas had concealed those feelings for fear of his father's reaction and then it was too late. Tauriel had given her heart to Annelise's cousin, Kili, who then died in the Battle of the Five Armies.

From what he had learned from Annelise, Tauriel had lingered in Mirkwood for a few years as Captain of the King's Guard before finally sailing to the Undying Lands. She had never recovered from the loss of her love and Legolas had never spoken to her of his affections. Though in the last few years of correspondence with his friend and adopted mother, it seemed the prince had finally moved on from his disappointment and found a new direction to place his attention. But as far as he was concerned, that was between Legolas and Arwen. But he would be glad to see them both happy, whether that was together or separate.

He shook those thoughts from his head as he approached Annelise's door and shifted her slightly so he could open it. She didn't stir at the movement and he smiled to see she was comfortable enough in his arms to sleep so deeply. A fire was lit in her room to ward away the coming winter chill and he moved to her bed and laid her on the sheets that had already been turned down.

She protested slightly and held onto him for a moment, before releasing him and snuggling down into her mattress. He smiled at her softly and reached down to gently remove the circlet from her head and the slippers from her feet. Then he carefully lifted her legs and pulled the covers from underneath them before setting them down slowly and lifting the covers over her body. She nestled into the warmth happily and he reached down to move hair off her face before leaning to place a soft kiss on her forehead.

He hesitated for a moment, breathing in the scent of jasmine that encompassed her before placing a lingering kiss on her cheek. He stared down at her for a moment and found the words falling from his lips before he could stop them.

"I love you."

He was shocked at the words that came from his mouth, but knew that they were right and true. He placed one last kiss on her forehead before standing up to retreat from the room. He managed to take one step back when her hand shot out from the covers and latched onto the end of his tunic. He whirled in surprise, not realizing that she had woken at some point.

"I love you too, Estel," she whispered and he stared at her in astonishment, his eyes searching her for any sign that she might still be asleep or that he was dreaming. But now she was moving to sit up and his breath caught at the loving look in her eyes.

"Truly?," was all he managed to get out and she smiled at the shocked look on his face.

"From the moment I found you again," she whispered and his smile split his face, as the sound of his heart roared in his ears.

The only thing he could do was pull her from her bed and lift her in the air as he spun her around. Her quiet laughter echoed through the room and he quickly placed her back on her feet, bringing his hands to either side of her face.

"From that moment on," he repeated, resting his forehead against hers. "I know we never spoke of it but you must know it was the same for me."

"I never dreamed that you could feel the same for me," she whispered.

"Nor I," he said softly. "But I have never been so glad to be wrong."

She couldn't help the light giggle that bubbled up inside her and Aragorn felt his heart skip a beat at the beautiful, joyful sound that echoed through her chambers. Then Annelise locked eyes with him and her breath caught at the intense, loving look that showed in his eyes. The pair stood transfixed, lost in the differing shades of blue in the others' eyes. And suddenly Aragorn was moving closer and Annelise's heart began to race.

Annelise's eyes quickly jumped from Aragorn's eyes down to his lips and back. And that was all the encouragement the ranger needed to lean in the rest of the way and place his lips softly against hers.

A/N - Well that didn't go how I expected lol. I planned on waiting a bit longer for the big confession but Aragorn and Annelise just wouldn't let me. Sorry for the length between updates, I'm in the middle of a cross-country move and currently living out of a suitcase in a friend's basement so it may be a while yet before anymore updates. Or it could be really soon lol. Just depends on the mood. Thank you guys for your continued support!