Even If The Sky Falls

The night before

The march to Mordor took us a week and on the final night we all lay to rest for the night, regaining own strength for the battle next day.

"We will rest here" Aragorn called out, the men of Gondor and Rohan coming to a stop and finding somewhere comfortable to sleep, only a few of us had horses and are paired up with somebody Pippin is with Gandalf and Merry with Eomer. 

"The men have accepted you as their King" I said quietly, sitting down next to him to who was resting upon a rock, looking up at the covered sky "I have no doubt they would follow you directly into the tower of Sauron without hesitation" Aragorn turned to me, a small smile on his lips as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder as I pulled Sebastian out of his pocket and on to my lap. 

"You never have treated me as a King" he stated quietly, resting his head on mine "not once did you ever look at me as a King and when you found out who I was you didn't even give me a second glance, you never treated me as anyone different but Strider, why?" I smiled lightly, nuzzling into his neck as I breathed in his scent. 

"Because to me, you have always been Strider" I stated simply, wrapping my arms around his waist as I spoke "I know how hard it is when people hear that you're of royal blood, how quickly their attitude changes, but you have always been the ranger I can get annoyed at, the same ranger that kisses my head when I am in agony and the same ranger who carried me all the way from Caradhras to Moria. I got to know you as Strider and that is who you still are to me Strider, I ranger who stole nin emel" [the ranger who stole my heart]

Looking up into Aragorn's face, noticing a smile plastered on his lips, pushing myself up lightly and kissed his cheek, pulling away slowly only for him to place his hand on my cheek and bring his lips to mine. 

I kissed him tenderly, unable to help the small smile that pulled at the corners of my mouth whenever I felt his lips against mine. Placing my hand on his chest, pulling away slowly with my eyes still closed, a smile upon my lips. Feeling Aragorn's hand rest under my chin, his thumb grazing over my bottom lip lightly. He leaned in and kissed me gently once more before pulling away and placing his hand upon mine to which was still over his chest, opening my eyes slowly to look at Aragorn with a small smile. 

"I don't like you wearing armour" I whispered, getting a questioning glance from Aragorn "I can't feel your heartbeat through the metal" another smile pulled against his lips. 

"Sui an sui cin know ha beats an cin, you don't need to feel it". [As long as you know it beats for you]

"How do I know it beats for me" I mocked, raising my eyebrow at the ranger. 

"Because if you weren't with me anymore, it would stop beating".

"Ahh, are we playing this game now are we" I laughed causing Aragorn to smile and place small kisses on my cheek. 

After a while, our laughter subdues and we sat on the ground, Aragorn leaning against the rocks with me leaning into him as I looked into the fire as it comes as a golden ball, igniting the night and making up for the lack of stars.

"What does a red sun rise, blood had been split that night, actually mean? I mean someone dies at night whether it's from battle or sickness" Gimli asked. 

"I believe that the sun chooses what night to show that blood had been spilt, in times when thinking of death would be agonising, I believe the sun chooses not to show the truth behind the night. To save the thoughts of people who are in grief and it may also rise red when death has been in vain, to show that even though that person has died, they are producing something beautiful in their afterlife".

"So the sun is considerate" Gimli stated gruffly, picking up a small stick from the ground and throwing it into the fire, I watched the flames flicker, the sound of the fire crackling through the silent night. Bringing my knees up to my chest, clenching my eyes at the slight pain in my shoulder before adjusting the movement "it also could because of the fires of war, but I like Legolas idea better".