Title: Lorien Love Files- Part 3
Author: captainraz
Format: fic chapter
Rating & Warnings: G; none
Word Count:
Summary: The continuing story of Aragorn's and Arwen's love. Or at least, the parts that occur in Lothlorien.
Author’s Notes: LOTR won't ever be mine. it's something i've just had to get used to :(
Then for a season they wandered together in the glades of Lothlórien, until it was time for him to depart.
At last Aragorn felt the pull of nature, the change of season approaching, and he knew it was time he left the fair green woods. Reluctantly he did so, for he was loath to leave his beloved Arwen. Therefore he prepared for his going in secret, though he knew that soon she would discern that it was so.
***
“Éstel?” murmured Arwen as she sat by him as he was laid upon a chaise on her balcony. It was dusk, and a wonderful golden hue permeated the air in Lothlorien.
“Mmmm?” he replied, too content to speak.
“Why do I get the feeling that you are keeping something from me again?”
Aragorn sat up and looked at his beloved with sorrow in his eyes.
“I have to leave.” He said quietly. “My bags are packed in my room. I didn’t want to tell you; I knew you would be just as sad as I.”
Arwen rose to her feet and went to the balcony railing, looking down upon many layers of talans and many elves going about their daily business.
“You leave the borders of this land, and I do not know when I shall see you again.” She said sadly. Aragorn rose and went over to her, wrapping his arms about her.
“No, but still I must leave. And we will have fair memories to sustain us.” His fingers brushed against the Ring of Barahir, its heavy form now upon a chain about Arwen’s neck. “Arwen look at me.” She did as he instructed. “The magic of this land did not change the way I feel about you. Nor will that change when I leave. I loved you so many years before I came here, through every war I have fought through, now I have a reason to fight.” A tear fell gently down Arwen’s face.
“But my world will become dark when you leave, you are my light, my Éstel.” Aragorn kissed that lonely tear away.
“Then hope, my love, and I will be your hope, for Hope I was named. I need you to have hope for me, for without you I have none.”
“But I need you here with me. How can I go on without you by my side?” Arwen clutched desperately at his tunic. Aragorn had never seen an elf so vulnerable, and it scared him.
“One day I will be at your side, I promise. But for that day to come I must leave now, and you must continue to have hope for me. I have yet to speak with you father concerning our betrothal.” That thought did little to comfort Arwen, for she knew what her father would say, and he would not be happy. Aragorn held her tighter than ever. “There are things I have yet to do, but I want you to know that there is nowhere I would rather be, nothing I would rather be doing than spending my time with you.”
“I love you Éstel, beyond the ending of this world I love you.”
“And I love you the same, which means that this parting will not break us. Nothing can come between us now, not the darkening of the world, nor the fall of the Free Peoples, nor you father. Nothing can change our love.”
“Make love to me Éstel.” Whispered Arwen in his ear.
Aragorn looked at her for a long moment, first in surprise, then with eyes that clearly said that he wanted to take her up on her request.
“Make love to me.” Whispered Arwen, pulling gently at the buttons of his tunic. “Seal our bond to each other.” Aragorn swallowed hard, fighting hard to regain concentration with such an offer hanging in the air. He had waited for this moment to come ever since he had first met Arwen all those years ago…
“No.” he said quite suddenly. Arwen looked hurt and confused by his rejection. “All of my being is screaming at me to make love to you all night long, and I promise that I will, but not tonight. How can I love you tonight, and then leave you in the morning with a heart twice as broken?”
“You leave tomorrow?” Aragorn nodded. “Make love to me.” Pleaded Arwen desperately.
“Not tonight, not like this.” Said Aragorn, with more conviction this time. He kissed her gently on the lips. “When I make love to you I will make sure that it is the best night of your life, and nothing and no one will be able to ruin our perfect moment. We will make love all night under the starlight, and I will hold you in my arms as the sun rises. Then I shall make love to you as the sun climbs the sky to its peak, and when it reaches its noontide I will kiss you deeply and tell you a thousand times over that I love you; but not tonight.”
Aragorn’s breath was hot against Arwen’s lips, and another tear escaped at the beautiful things he was whispering to her.
“Oh Éstel, I love you so much.”
“And I love you, my Evenstar, more than I ever thought a man could love anyone.”
“Stay with me tonight.” She said, her voice still almost pleading. Aragorn truly had never heard her sound so vulnerable, but it comforted him that he knew he was the only one who could change that.
“That I can do,” said Aragorn with a smile “And I care not if anyone should find us.” Arwen gave a small smile, but her eyes clearly told Aragorn that she was still scared.
Aragorn let Arwen go so that she could change, while he tugged off his tunic. Soon they were both settled in Arwen’s bed in each others arms, where they belonged.
“You know that you’ll never lose me. How could I run off with a bar maid after I have loved you?” asked Aragorn quietly. Arwen smiled in the dark, for he had read her mind perfectly. No, he would never leave her, not when he knew her so well.
“Forgive me for being silly?” asked Arwen. Aragorn nuzzled and kissed her neck in reply.
“How could I not?” he whispered.
Content the two of them fell asleep in each others arms, together for that night at least.
***
The next morning Aragorn woke early, though he was loathe to leave Arwen sleeping so peacefully. He went to his room and changed into his travelling clothes for the fist time in nigh on three months, and he retrieved his things.
He had hoped to slip out unnoticed but Arwen caught up with him before he left the perimeter of Caras Galadhon. That despairing look was back in her eye, and it nearly broke Aragorn’s resolve to leave that day.
“Must you go?” she asked quietly.
“I must. If I do not leave now then I will never find the courage to go, and we both know that I cannot stay.” Arwen nodded.
“I do not want you to leave me.”
“I promise that we will see each other again, we will be together again Arwen.”
“Then why does it feel like my heart is breaking? I have never felt such soul-breaking pain before. This surely is the hardest thing I will have to bear.” Aragorn looked sorrowful.
“This first parting is hard indeed, for both of us. Yet, this will not be the hardest parting to bear.”
Arwen looked at him, not understanding. Aragorn merely took her in his arms and kissed her long and hard before walking out through the gates. Arwen felt like he had walked out of her life forever and she knew that her heart went with him.
This will not be the hardest parting to bear he had said. Arwen could not think of any pain she had ever felt that was greater than this. Slowly she turned and went back to the city and back to her eternity of loneliness.
Galadriel looked down upon her broken granddaughter with sadness in her wise eyes. No, this would not be the hardest parting that she would have to bear.
