Aralas Oneshots

Betrayed (part 1)

Et Earello Endorenna utúlien. Sinome maruvan ar Hildinyar tenn Ambar-metta!

A whole courtyard full of people cheering, clapping, dancing, calling out in joy. They thrust their hats in the air, wives hugging husbands, children clinging to the hem of their mother's skirts, their eyes filled with tears of happiness. Thousands of years they had lived without a king, under the rule of the stewards. Only today had brought safety and peace back to Minas Tirith, for Kind Elessar had returned and stood now in front of them, the crown on his head. Many friends had come to his coronation, elves and men and even dwarves. And all of them chanted: 

"Elessar! Elessar!"

A whole courtyard full of people, no, a whole city!

"Long live king Elessar!"

Though his real name was Aragorn. The ranger from the North, orphaned in early years and welcomed as a fosterson in the house of Elrond, lord of Rivendell, and there named Estel, Hope. This was also the name which the lady whispered at night. The name that haunted her dreams. That let her sleepless of worry and miserable of love. It was the name Arwen would greet her future husband with when he stepped down from the podium to approach her.

She had waited so long for this moment. Waited and worried and waited and worried so that it had made her sick. But today was finally the end of it. Today Aragorn would walk up to her, take her in his arms and make her his queen of Gondor, forever at his side. It was what she had always wished for, and it was what she deserved, who had loved him to consistently. She had been left alone at home, while Aragorn had risked his life saving the world, just like the brave knight in every story. Arwen smiled slightly at the thought of her reward and her anticipation grew as the king stepped down the few steps from where he had been standing and made his way through the crowd.

He walked towards her with determined steps, not letting himself be halted back by luckwishers and admirers.

"My lady Arwen!", he said kindly and took her hand, while implying a slight bow of the head. "Glad am I to look upon your face again. It lightens the mood as no other."

Arwen smiled and her cheeks turned slightly red. But as she looked up into Aragorn's eyes she couldn't see the overflow of love that she herself felt in them. Rather there was sadness, and a wish for forgiveness written all over his face. And while she still wondered, what that could mean, the king let go of her hand and turned away from her, quickly enlargening the distance between them. The elven-maid wanted to run after him, but suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder, holding her back with a stern grip.

"There is nothing you can do, Undómiel nîn", lord Elrond spoke with a soothening voice. For a few moments the lady just stood there, her eyes wide open in disbelief. Then she turned around and flung her arms around her father's neck. And after a long while of having concealed her true feelings frim him, she cried into his robes like a little girl.

---

Swiftly Aragorn left Arwen behind him. He wanted to come as far away from her as possible, because he knew he had broken her heart and thought it best to do it the hard way, making it easier for her to let go. If he played the unkind playboy, maybe she would be angry instead of sad and turn her love into hatred instead of weariness of the world. Thus, he might save her from whithering. He hadn't realised it for a long time, but all the way the fellowship had travelled towards Mordor, he had been in love with someone else. It wasn't the fair and obeying lady Evenstar from Imladris, but the swift and cheerful Legolas Thranduilion from dark Mirkwood that had captured his heart.  

Only this morning had he realised this, when he in his mind had practised the encounter with Arwen. He had realised, that he didn't want to spend the rest of his life with her, he simply couldn't love her as much as she deserved. Instead, his heart had fallen upon the brave elf from the fellowship, who could always make him laugh and never loose hope, even in the darkest moments of their journey. And now he wanted to find out, if the elf felt the same way.

With much lighter steps he pushed through the people and tried to spot the blond head of hair that was Legolas', and finally he did. His heart started to pound heavier in his breast, and he was a little afraid of the revelation he had to make to him, but he knew it would be for the best, especially now, when he had disappointed and dishonoured Arwen in every way.

Legolas had his back to him and was currently talking to a slightly taller elf-maiden with brown hair. She was beautiful, as far as Aragorn could tell, but nothing out of the ordinary, and her garments let suspect she was a warrior of some kind. Probably a part of the delegation from Mirkwood that had come to fetch Legolas and bring king Thranduil's wishes of luck to the newly crowned king Elessar. Aragorn opened his mouth and cried out:

"Le...!"

But he didn't come any further, as the elf leaned forwards and kissed his elf-lady on the mouth. Right in front of all the people. The former ranger stood still in shock, as the crowd around the pair erupted in happy cheering. But as he looked thouroughly dumbstruck, the crowd soon noticed him and made a way for him. That way, the female elf saw him and let go of Legolas, who didn't seem to want to interrupt the kissing, but reluctantly turned around. The sight of the king made him take a step back and put on a face of surprise and regret. But only for a short time. In the next moment, he had his smile back on his face and said:

"Estel! I gratulate you! I always knew you would be a great king."

Then he added:

"May I present Tauriel to you? Now that the war is over, I can finally go back home and get married!"

This was the worst pun in the stomach Aragorn had ever got in his life. A gratulation? No thanks, Legolas. This wasn't a gratulation, it was a knife in his chest and it was twisted around several times in the wound. Hadn't all the moments of the two of them together mattered at all to the elf? Hadn't he felt that sparkle too, that surrounded them whenever hands touched accidentally? But apparently not. Apparently all he could think of was his betrothed in Mirkwood. It was as if he deliberately hadn't told Aragorn about her, just to make him look dumber in the end. That besotted, rotted betrothed of his. 

"No, you may not. Thank you very much", the king spat and turned around on the spot. With a grievous expression on his face, Legolas stared after him, and just as Aragorn was lost in the crowd, comprehension dawned upon him.

Fraudi13 this is for you. Hope you like it! 

There will be a second part, because the story would be too long for just one chapter and also I wanted to leave you on a hook... Have a nice day!! :)