Le Melin, Beloved Consort (Aragorn)

Chapter Three, Silent Promises

Chapter Three, Silent Promises

"I see you do belong to the Moon rather than the Sun." Aragorn exclaimed a smirk spreading across his lips. An amused chuckle rolled off of Calén's lips as he turned around to face the man that was beginning to capture his heart. Calén was currently sat in the middle of the same meadow they met in last night with the Moon shining brightly down upon him illuminating his smooth skin.

Calén had been busying himself with picking the flowers that grew there before Aragorn had appeared. Apparently such flowers grew only in this meadow for Calén had spent the whole day wondering around Caras Galadhon searching for them, for his mother needed them for something or other. "Or is it simply; that you belong to the Earth rather than the Heavens." Aragorn approached Calén slowly and without hesitating or a question took a seat beside the Elf. "For I'm rather hoping it us the former rather than the latter." Ignoring Aragorn's questions Calén asked one of his own instead. "Do you know what flower this is?"

Aragorn chuckled knowingly as he knew the little minx in front of him was trying to distract him and he could honestly say it was working as he looked at the few flowers that Calén held gently in his hand. "I believe they are called Forget-Me-Nots," Aragorn answered as he took one of the flowers and tucked the stem gently into Calén's hair, the colour of the flower co feasting deeply with his raven tresses, the small petals shining like diamonds imbedded in his hair with the light of the moon. "Have you never seen them before?" Aragorn asked confused peering into Calén's emerald eyes when Calén appeared to be more than a little fascinated by the flowers held in his hand. Aragorn's eyes flickered down to Calén's lips as he watched a pink tongue swipe across his suddenly dry plump lips.

"It seems they only grow in this meadow for I have never seen them grow anywhere else through out Lothlôrien." Calén answered.
"I heard you have never travelled out of the borders of Lothlôrien." Aragorn stated. A deep sigh left Calén's parted lips as he bent down to pluck a few more flowers. "I've never been allowed out of Lothlôrien and therefore I have never ventured further than a few miles outside of Caras Galadhon before someone finds me and takes me back.

I have remained inside the borders of this wonderful forest ever since my mother Lady Galadriel found me on the banks of Anduin. I have never seen the mountains, the grassy plains of Rohan or Gondor, nor have I seen the fast Rapids of Celebrant it the sea." Calén muttered absently as he stared into the distance, his eyes vacant and full of wishful imagines of the world far beyond the borders of the forest he called home.

Aragorn watched him for a few moments a thoughtful frown upon his handsome features. "I have seen them." He said a last causing Calén to snap out of the trance he'd found himself in and turned to look at Aragorn with eyes full of wonder. "I have seen the snowy tops of the mountain Caradhras, I have walked the hidden passes in Dunland; I have travelled the vast fields of both Rohan and Gondor, the high planes of Ered Nimrais. And I've heard the songs that are sung by the Rapids of Celebrant and the thundering roars of the Falls of Raurors. And I've also seen the sea, stretching out as far as the eye can see and further until the sea blends in with the sky where you can no longer tell where one begins and the other ends."

Calén listened with wonder and awe sinning on his eyes as brightly as the stars above, as Aragorn explained about the wonders of the world, taking all that fell from Aragorn's lips as a scared pray meant to be treasured and kept close to the heart. "Can you tell me about them?" Calén asked his voice barely above a whisper. "Can you tell me about the mountains, the hills, the planes that you've seen and can you tell me a about the sea?"

Aragorn looked at the treasure that fallen into his lap no doubt a gift from the Vallar for what could honestly explain the beauty in front of him that was pure beauty inside and out, that surely had a heart made of the purest gold that not even the dwarves could make for Aragorn knew for certain that he'd never and nor would he ever find such a creature more pure than Calénandir even if he had the lifetime of an elf. "Of course." Aragorn answered smiling when Calén's smile shone brighter than the brightest of stars.

* * *

"I didn't know you could sing."
Calén startled and opened his eyes to find Aragorn standing several feet away from him. Calén had finished the song he was singing several minutes ago, so he was surprised that Aragorn took a while to make his presence known.
"There are a lot of things you do not know about me, Aragorn," Calén said cryptically, and the Dúnedain nodded in acknowledgment before he approached Calén and took a seat beside him, leaning back on the same tree Calén was resting against.

"I've heard from Lady Galadriel that you've spent the day in the Great Library," Aragorn commented lightly and Calén laughed quietly, nodding in confirmation. "After you told me of your travels I decided to study the maps. I tried to imagine everything that you told me and what the maps showed but I can't quite picture all of it." Calén sighed sadly. Aragorn studied Calén for a few moments while the young elf stared up at the sky. "Come with me?"

"What?" Calén asked startled turning to look at the older and taller man next to him, slightly breathless and with wide eyes hardly daring to hope he'd heard right. The smile that Aragorn gifted him was full of fondness and something else that Calén couldn't recognise but made his breath catch in his throat for some reason.

"We both know that there is a Shadow growing in the East, but all Shadows must past eventually. Every darkness finally meets its end. Once the Darkness is gone- once it finally meets its end and the shadows are gone from this land- if I asked you to come with me, would you? Would you come with me?" Calén's breath hitched in his throat and he felt tears sting his eyes as his heart beat erratically in his chest like it was trying to escape through his chest. "We could go all the way to the western sea, to the icy tops of Ered Luin, we could travel the green fields and the forests of the Shire, and the fertile planes of Minhiriath. I could take you to see Rivendell, and travel along the high tops of the Misty Mountains.

We could travel together down the flow of Anduin, and ride through the fields of Rohan, visit the Sea of Rhûn or even watch the Sun set on the horizon with nothing but the blue sea spreading in front of us on the sandy shores of Andrast. I'll take you to anywhere you'd want to go Mîr-nîh." Aragorn said earnestly as he sipped away the tears that had flown freely down Calén's cheeks. Calén's eyes were so full of hope that it made Aragorn's heart clench and made him case a silent vowel that he would come back for the one that had stolen his heart, for he was saddened that in two days he'd have to leave his heart in Lothlôrien.

A warm breeze danced around them, singing its loving song to their hearts and somehow holding Aragorn yo his silent promise that he'd always at least try to return. The Moon shone bright upon them as though giving them its blessing, and the ground vibrated beneath them, as though it was engraving their words into itself, for unbeknownst to them Calénandir's Magic had made the promise binding so that they'd always be true to each other for neither were complete without the other as they held each other's hearts in the palm of their hands.

"Would you go with me, Calénandir?" Aragorn asked again when he feared the silence had gone on long enough. Calén swallowed although his mouth was so dry there was no saliva within his mouth to moisten it. His whole body was shaking from what he couldn't name, for he neither knew if it was from excitement or something else he didn't know nor really care as any thought that had been in his mind had flown like a little baby bird flying from the nest, the moment Aragorn's hand had gently cupped his left cheek.

He caressed it with his calloused thumb as he stared deep into Calén's eyes as though the answer to his question was waiting to be found from the depths of Calén's eyes. "Would you go with me?" Aragorn asked once more.
"I would," Calén murmured and Aragorn let go of the breath he didn't know he'd been unconsciously holding. "I would follow you. I would follow you to the ends of this world."

End of chap three!

Translation:

*Elvish: Mîr-nîh. English: my treasure.