Hold me close (and calm my nerves)

Ruling Gondor was no easy task, even for a man as capable as Aragorn. Restoring a kingdom to its former glory was stressful. Long days were followed by sleepless nights. Even with the help of Faramir as the Steward, there was just simply too much to do, and relaxing was difficult when there were constantly new issues popping up that took up far too much of his mental energy, even in his leisure time.

When Aragorn returned to his room that night, it was already far later than he had intended to stay up. No doubt his wife would be sound asleep in their bed, as she had been every night for these past two weeks. He slipped the door open and found only a single lantern burning low on Arwen's nightstand, just like every other night.

Aragorn slipped his boots and clothes off, and was about to pull on his sleep clothes when two warm arms snaked around his middle. He jumped, then settled, as he recognized the embrace of his lover.

"You should be asleep," Aragorn said.

"I do not sleep well without you," Arwen replied. She traced her hands over his chest and stomach, lightly massaging the muscles there. "You are stressed, my love, you have been for far too long. Will you allow me to care for you?"

"You need not my lady. It is not your burden to bear."

"I am your wife, your queen. It is my responsibility to care for you when you are too busy caring for others to look after yourself."

Aragorn did not reply but relaxed deeper into his wife's touch, allowing her probing hands to melt his tension away.

"I know what you need, my love," she said, "come to bed with me."

Aragorn nodded and turned in his lover's embrace. He allowed himself to be led to their bed and pushed onto his back. They had done this many times before, less so since Arwen had fallen pregnant, but enough that his muscle memory carried him through the motions of getting situated.

Arwen joined him on the bed just a moment later. She had opened her silk robe so that it hung loosely off of her shoulders, exposing her body from her collar bones, to her hips where the leather strap that held the marble phallus that they had made specially for this sat, and the rest of the way down to her toes.

Aragorn stroked the tiny bulge where she was carrying their child as his wife settled between his thighs. She was not too far along at all, in fact, when she was dressed one would not even know that she was with child from the front. It was only from the side that their child could be seen. And now that she was completely exposed, Aragorn could see where her stomach was distended from the life she was growing within.

As Arwen's belly swelled, so did Aragorn's heart as he thought of starting a family with his beloved. She carried the future of Gondor in her womb.

Arwen smiled and allowed Aragorn to indulge himself just a moment before she took his wrists in either hand and pinned them gently to the mattress behind him. He allowed her to do so, he always did, despite being far stronger than her. He could easily fight back and take control of the situation, but that was not what this was about. This was about Aragorn giving in to the gentle control that Arwen had over his body.

She didn't tie him down, she didn't need to. She had before, when they were both in better spirits, and Aragorn wanted to be roughed up a bit, when he felt like being a brat. When they went slow like this though, Aragorn knew not to move his wrists unless Arwen gave permission, so she felt no need to actually restrain him.

"You carry the weight of our kingdom on your shoulders, allow me to carry the weight of your pleasure for the night," Arwen said. She leaned forward and kissed her husband deeply, caressing his thighs as she did so. He trembled ever so slightly underneath her, the force of his tension leaving his body sending tremors through him. One of her hands withdrew from his body, only to return a moment later, this time slick with oil and probing gently at his puckered hole.