Love Is Not Exclusive

Safe and Loved

The healers gave Legolas some herbs to reverse his bloating and stop the false pregnancy. They gave him some sleeping herbs as well, so he was sleeping soundly when Aragorn called a meeting in the library.

All the councilman were sitting at a table in the library and fidgeting in their seats. Only the Head of the council sat still. Aragorn entered the room and sat and the head of the table. The Head of the council sat at the other end of the table and both men stared hard at each other. It wasn't long before the door opened again and a healer entered. Aragorn acknowledged her and hen spoke.

"What, pray tell, made you think that you could deal out punishment in my kingdom - to my Prince Consort - without speaking with me first?" Aragorn asked.

"He was pregnant. It is against the law in our country for him to be pregnant!" the Head argued.

"He was not pregnant," the healer interrupted. "He had a condition know as a false pregnancy. He was not actually carrying. We are working on reversing it right now. It happens when an individual wants a child so bad that their body mimics a real pregnancy."

"And how do you know this?" the Head sneered.

"I was the one to diagnose it," the healer sneered back.

Aragorn put a hand on her arm and dismissed her. He turned back to his council and began again.

"Now, I have had a bill written up," Aragorn said, pulling a rolled piece of parchment paper from his robe. "It states that the King is allowed to bed and have children anyone whom he is married to. I have signed it. I need you to sign it."

"Ha!" the Head exclaimed. "I will not sign your petition!"

Aragorn smiled, "I was not speaking to you. You are no longer the head of my council. Get out."

The man was fuming but he stood and moved to leave as his King had ordered. But Aragorn's voice stopped him.

"And don't bother coming back to Gondor."

The man looked even more furious, but he obeyed. And no one heard from him again. Aragorn turned then to the rest of his council.

"As of now, the Prince Consort is head of this council and my chief advisor. But as he is recovering right now, I need the majority of you to sign this instead."

The men all nodded and Aragorn passed the parchment around the table. Nine out of fourteen of them signed the parchment and the law was set. Aragorn was now able to give Legolas the children he - they, now - desired. A herald was sent out into the city to announce the change of law to the citizens of Minas Tirith.

Aragorn returned to his chambers and saw Arwen sitting on the bed, panting. Aragorn rushed to her side.

"Arwen? What is wrong?"

Arwen looked at her husband in wonder and fear, "My water has just broken!"

Aragorn quickly, gently, picked Arwen up and carried her to the healing wing. The healers took her into the room right next to the one Legolas was in and began to help her through the birthing process. Aragorn - as was tradition - had to wait outside. He instead went to see how Legolas was faring. The blonde was still asleep. But his complexion had returned, he now slept with his eyes open, and there was no more bloating. Legolas would have looked perfectly healthy if not for the bandages around his legs. Aragorn stroked Legolas' hair and face. The Elf began to stir and Aragorn pulled his hand away. Legolas' eyes focused and looked up at Aragorn.

"What happened?" Legolas croaked.

"The councilmen got you," Aragorn replied. But I was able to get to you before too much damage was done. Your legs will take some time to heal, but that is all."

Legolas made a small smile, "I know that that happened, Aragorn. I was there. I meant: what happened afterward?"

Aragorn blushed a bit, "Right. I held a meeting with my council. You are clear of charges. You are now, as Prince Consort, head of the council." Legolas' eyes went wide and his jaw slacked a bit. "We also passed a new law." Aragorn paused and Legolas looked at him expectantly, tight as a bowstring as he waited for the answer. Aragorn smiled, "You and I can have children without getting in trouble with any of Gondor's laws."

Legolas' face lit up and he smiled ear to ear. He wanted to jump up and hug Aragorn, but the rational side of him reminded him that it would hurt his legs.

"That's wonderful, Aragorn!" Legolas exclaimed. But then he made a face. "Just not any time soon. I don't want to repeat those symptoms in the near future."

Aragorn smiled, "Indeed. And there will be even less chance since Arwen just went into labor maybe ten minutes ago."

Legolas' eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. He sat up and pulled Aragorn into a hug, "Congratulations, my friend!"

Aragorn hugged back, but said, "I am appalled, Legolas."

Legolas jerked back, shocked, "About what? Can I not congratulate you on your child?"

Aragorn smiled, which confused Legolas. "No Legolas. And you certainly cannot congratulate your 'friend.'" Legolas became even more confused at this and Aragorn smiled wider. "You are not my friend. You are my lover. And the child will be just as much yours as mine and Arwen's. Our souls are connected. When the child was conceived, part of you was put into it as well. You are its Ada as much as I am it's father." Aragorn pressed a kiss to Legolas' forehead.

Legolas' eyes were filled with tears, and some began to spill over. "You love me?"

"Both myself and Arwen."

Legolas smiled and Aragorn wiped tears from the blonde's cheeks. Aragorn then leaned in and placed a loving kiss on Legolas' lips. Legolas slid his arms around Aragorn's shoulders and the man linked his arms around Legolas' middle. Aragorn slipped his tongue into Legolas' mouth and deepened the kiss.

Legolas pulled away and kissed Aragorn lightly on the cheek, "Thank you."

Aragorn smiled, "You are most certainly welcome."

They sat together for the next few hours, occasionally hearing screams of agony from the room next door. Aragorn would jump each time, and each time Legolas would put a comforting hand on the Man's arm. Eventually, the screams stopped and a servant came into the room to get Aragorn. The King stood to leave, but then turned to look at Legolas.

"Legolas must come as well," Aragorn said.

The servant nodded. He and Aragorn each took one of Legolas' arms around their shoulders and carried him into the next room. Legolas was prepared to be laid down on a couch, but Aragorn had other ideas. The bed was big enough for three people. Arwen lay to one side so Aragorn and the servant laid Legolas next to her. Aragorn and Legolas stared at the small bundle in their wife's arms. The child's head was covered in dark fuzz and its eyes were still closed.

Legolas watched as Aragorn bent down and kissed the babe's wrinkled face. Legolas smiled as he watched his spouses and their child. He would have been fine if Aragorn had left him in the other room. But his eyes filled with tears as he recalled what Aragorn had told him. The child would not only belong to the King and Queen, but to the Prince Consort as well. Arwen put a hand on Legolas' arm, pulling him from his thoughts. He made eye contact with his wife and she smiled gently at him.

"Would you like to hold him, Legolas?" Arwen asked, softly.

Legolas' eyes widened for a moment before he smiled and nodded. Arwen gently passed the babe to Legolas. Legolas looked in wonder at the child. The baby's eyes were still closed and his fists were clutched tight, flailing every-which-way. Legolas smiled broadly. He kissed the small forehead and then looked to his spouses.

"What is his name?" Legolas asked.

"Eldarion," Aragorn answered.

Legolas smiled and looked back at his little son. It was odd to think of Eldarion that way; as his son. He had neither sired nor carried the child. But he was of the marriage of the boy's biological parents, and through that bond also had a bond with Eldarion.

Legolas handed Eldarion back to his mother and wondered how he could have ever doubted that this little child would be a dividing point in his relationship with Aragorn and Arwen, when Eldarion was just another way to connect the three fëa of his parents.