Restless

Chapter 10

“Day 63”


Inspired by pic #2 : http://www.vincev.com/viggo/moon.html

The cool breeze whistled through the trees, jostling the leaves from the safety of their branches. The feather light foliage was tossed about by the wind, many leaves coming to rest along the stone walkways only to be crushed violently underfoot. Some drowned a happy death in the tributaries flowing through this re-built kingdom. Still others plummeted to a more pleasurable end, settling atop dwellings, to bask in the beauty of the warm days and the starlit nights.

Far below the tallest tree lay a sleeping man, softly snoring beneath the falling leaves. The breeze ruffled his dark locks and they fell across his face with each strong gust. Peace and contentment settled across his features as he slept, the rigors of daily life forgotten in the tranquillity of the man-made glade.

He'd sought solace here in this hidden oasis; peace from the steady and never-ending demands of his royal Chamberlain. The man had finally nattered himself into a tizzy about some inconsequential matter and Aragorn finally decided he needed a bit of solitude - before the man was rendered limb from limb with a very dull knife.

Aldamir knew when his friend and King needed a break. Aragorn had been pummeled from every direction since his arrival, and the acting regent knew that if he did not let the man have a few hours of solitude, someone was going to pay for it. Unfortunately, such a breakdown would have had horribly painful consequences for the twitterpated Chamberlain and Aldamir was no fool to think that he wouldn’t be the one carrying out whatever order the King could think of to rid himself of the nuisance.

Aragorn walked for along time, admiring the workmanship of this land he grew up in and nearly no longer recognized. Spacious living quarters were built within a large, multi-tiered castle. Each level was hidden rather well within the hills and trees that surrounded the area, reminding him of elven architecture. Rolling hills and dense forests hid the new kingdom of Arnor from the casual eye and over a nearby mountain range, not far away, the sea struck the jagged rocks, slowly chipping away at millennia old foundations.

A small pool was nestled into the base of the largest hill where a natural fall of water cascaded over the rocks and into a small pool below. Well-trimmed grass surrounded the tranquil pool at the base of the falls, a small inlet carrying the overflow down the mountain and toward the sea.

Here, Aragorn found his much needed solace and he lay down in a bed of grass, nature's fresh scent and the falling water soothing his troubled thoughts and lulling him into a peaceful slumber.

And that is where she found him.

Dark eyes narrowed as they watched the steady rise and fall of his chest. A small, mischievous smile spread across her lips as she pulled the wrap tighter around her shoulders.

It was mealtime, and most of the nobles would be at their tables, eating heartily. She knew where he’d gone and had come to fetch him to meal, but instead found herself silently watching the man to whom she was bonded for the rest of her days.

They'd journeyed long through the united lands and to finally reach the newly built kingdom was both a relief and an added stress in her husband's already very busy life.

Arwen crept quietly along the tree-line, her wispy skirts kissing the blades of grass as she walked. A small smile began to spread across her lips as she stared at the still form of her sleeping husband. The peaceful, relaxed smile on his face was an image she wanted to capture forever. It was something she rarely saw anymore, and he'd only held the throne for a few short years. She stared for a long time, simply standing beside him, burning the image into her mind.

Slowly, she sank to her knees, careful to not disturb him. His nose twitched as she slid the back of her hand down his whiskered chin and along the nape of his neck. His heavy sigh caused a wide smile to spread across her lips as she leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to his cheek. The long, dark lashes that rested against his skin fluttered with the unconscious movement of his eyes.

Before she could reach his lips, strong hands slid gently up her arms and beneath the wrap that covered her shoulders. "Interrupting the king while he sleeps is an offense punishable by…."

She leaned forward quickly and began to nibble on his lower lip, effectively silencing his feigned protest.

Callused hands, born from years of wielding a sword, lightly traced her collarbone, sending trs ras racing down her spine. Those same hands rubbed gently along the skin of her nape, before sliding along her cheeks and into the long, dark mane that spilled over her shoulders and down heck. ck. Gently, he eased her tongue away from where it tasted the lingering wine from his lower lip.

Her eyes sparkled with a playful gleam as she settled into a seated position beside him.

His gaze darted toward the sky, noting the time. "Did you bring the meal?" Crystal eyes sparkled as he waited for her answer. "I see no food, no settings, no….."

A slim finger pressed to his lips silenced his questions. "There will be no meal for you tonight."

Dark eyes searched his face as her hands slid down the neckline of his tunic, parting the silken material. He watched her, unblinking, as nimble fingers easily unfastened famifamiliar clothing.

"Starving your king is also a capitol offense." He said the words without the barest hint of a smile but the dancing crystalline eyes revealed his amusement. "You could be punished…"

Arwen leaned over his chest, her breath hot against his cheek. "Then perhaps I should submit to my king's whims and accept my punishment."

"I think that would be wise," Aragorn's voice dropped and his hands tightened in her hair. Slowly, he brought her lips to his and captured them in a deep, passionate kiss.

She melted into his embrace, all plans of her conquest of him fleeing her mind as his lips sucked gently at her own. After a few moments, and a few shocking bursts of desire that raced down her spine, she regained what remained of her senses. Small fingers wrapped around his wrists, prying his hands from her hair. "But, my liege, I have my own agenda for this evening and your control of this situation is not what I had in mind."

Aragorn's eyes sparkled as he licked the taste of her from his lips and settled comfortably back into the bed of grass. "Oh? Then what have you planned, my queen? I will…submit…. to your whims……for a time."

When she moved to stand, a curious eyebrow raised and he considered reaching out to stop her. A hard gaze nailed him in place as she lifted the silky material gathered around her ankles and straddled his hips. She settled herself against his thighs, smiling widely when a muffled groan escaped his lips. It was Arwen's turn to lean over and breathe hotly against his whiskered cheek. "I intend to ravish you, my husband." Her hips rolled across his thighs and his eyes lolled into the back of his head.

"I will go without a meal with that promise, wife." Aragorn's voice deepened with arousal and he shifted uncomfortably beneath her weight. His breeches became more restrictive with each passing second and Arwen smiled at his discomfort.

She rested her hands on his chest and slowly dragged her nails down the bared skin. She licked suddenly dry lips and gazed at him with eyes that burned through to his very soul. A tremor raced down his spine and straight to his groin.

When she finally reached his breeches, she expertly loosened the fastenings, and freed his stiff erection from its cramped confinement. A visible sigh of relief washed across his features and Arwen held back a grin of amusement.

Skilled hands slowly stroked his length, eliciting a muffled groan from tightly clenched lips. When she bent over his chest, her hair fell in a silken pool around them, its flowery fragrance intoxicating his senses and boiling his blood. Releasing him, a small hand trailed along the side of a whiskered cheek and down his neck before dipping to the edges of his open tunic. Dropping a lingering kiss to the side of his mouth, Arwen bared his chest and pressed her lips to the burning skin.

The lapping of the water against the rocks below soon matched their racing hearts and the sound drowned out all but the loudest moan as Arwen worked her way down his body. Fingers reverently traced the lines of every scar, every mark etched into his beautifully tanned skin. A testament to a life dedicated to the service and protection of others.

When she glanced up at him through dark eyelashes, his smoldering gaze pierced her soul more deeply than his body ever could. She could see the barely controlled passion in his heated stare and she trembled. The race of men were quite different than the elves in the ways of love. Where the elves were gentle and reverent, worshipping one another with a grace not found anywhere else in Middle-Earth, the race of men, comparatively, were brutes, taking what they wanted in ways that the elves could never comprehend. The unique mix of Aragorn's unrestrained passion, combined with his elven-learned grace and gentility, made him a most passionate lover. A lover Arwen would never tire of trying to tame.

Displaying perfectly the unrestrained passion of his race, Aragorn's fingers twisted into the shawl that hung loosely off her shoulders and tugged. The sudden movement drew her lips from where they were slowly making their way back to his painfully stiff manhood.

She was pulled deep into his arms, and his lips covered hers in a passionate, possessive kiss. The backs of his hands delicately traced the length of her arms, sending chills down her spine. His slow, deliberate strokes, the soft brushing of rough hands across smooth skin and whiskered cheeks that prickled the tender skin of her neck made her toes curl. When his lips covered that delicate place at her nape, she trembled, long and hard, the chill racing straight down her spine. Her head lolled into his hand, further baring theoth,oth, silky column of her neck to his hungry gaze. A soft whimper escaped barely parted lips and she could feel him smile against her skin. One hand supported the back of her head as the other continued its light path across her clothed body, slowly stroking the kindling fire that had been a simple ember not long before.

"This is not what I had planned for the evening." She whispered, her voice trembling.

"Your intent, indonya, was to seduce me this evening." He said, lips nibbling slowly across her neck to trail along her jaw line. "I may be a man, but I can see a set-up when it is sitting right on top of me."

Arwen chuckled, stifling a gasp as he bit gently down on her smooth skin. She could feel the muscles in his stomach constrict moments before he sat up, cradling her tightly in his arms.

"It has been far too long," he groaned into her skin.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, balancing herself atop his thighs. Small, soft hands slid down his whiskered cheeks, tracing the line of his beard from his ears to his chin. When she dropped a lingering kiss to his slightly parted lips, she arched her hips sharply against his drawing him swiftly into her. A long, loud growl escaped his lips as he captured her mouth in a deep, penetrating kiss. His hands slid down her back and settled her more tightly against his thighs, eyes crossing as her body tightened around him.

They rocked together for a time, simply enjoying the closeness this position afforded. Breath caught as thin lips covered every inch of her face with gentle kisses. Fingers laced through his hair, tugging absently at the strands as his mouth worked magic against the sensitive skin of her neck.

Without warning, Arwen arched her hips and leaned away. Aragorn immediately drew up his legs as support against her back and trailed his hands down the front neckline of her dress.

Skilled hands slipped between the folds of fabric to cup each breast while nimble fingers kneaded the tender skin and pinched the already hard, pink nipples. She arched her back sharply, driving him deeper. His answering growl caused an amused light to shine within the dark pools of her eyes. She rode him slowly, devouring every sensation, every tremor that raced down his body.

His blood burned. He nearly whimpered beneath her as he clawed at her remaining clothing. Clouded, crystalline eyes pleaded with her to end the agony, the tightness building in his groin. Every nerve ending was lit with a fire that threatened to consume him. A nearly unrecognizable sound uttered from somewhere in the back of his throat as he tried to urge her quicken her pace.

As the neckline of her dress slipped down over her shoulders, his lips immediately fastened onto the delicate cord that ran the length of her neck. A small whimper reverberated in her throat and her head lolled to one side. He murmured incomprehensible words against her skin as his hands slid down her arms to pull her hips against his thighs.

At her urging, he leaned back into the bed of grass and watched her with dark eyes. His hands gripped her waist tightly, guiding her, sliding her against his groin as tightly as he could manage.

She rose and fell atop him, urged quickly by the tension in his bunched muscles and his tight grip on her waist. His hips rose to meet hers and with each thrust his groan's deepened.

She slowly trailed the back of her hands down his whiskered cheeks and bent to take his lips in a searing kiss. His hands gripped her hips like a vice, his pace quickening until they were both panting from the effort. His hips jerked one final time before his seed burst from his loins, filling her with its warmth. His eyes crossed for a moment and he trembled from the intensity of his release.

Arwen continued to ride him, drawing out her pleasureil sil she leaned over him one final time and cried her release into his mouth. The pace slowed until they were rocking slowly against one another. As their heartbeat calmed, Aragorn settled his wife against his chest and allowed the cool breeze to dry their damp skin.

When she gazed at him through drooping eyes, he pressed long, lingering kisses to her cheeks before moving ever so slowly toward her swollen lips.

“Ahh,” he breathed as he wrapped his arms around her hips and pressed her tightly against him. “Far better than any meal.”

She smiled and shifted her hips, drawing a startled gasp from his lips. “I still hold the power, husband. Never forget.”

His eyes sparkled in the waning light. “Never, wife.” He was content to play her game if such immense satisfaction followed every such encounter.

Before she could respond, a startled gasp cut short their teasing banter and two sets of eyes glared darkly at the man who had intruded on their private .
.

There stood the Chamberlain, eyes wide as a shocked deer, staring at them, his mouth agape with disbelief. That his King and Queen would allow themselves to indulge in such a public place was unthinkable to the man. Color began to rise in his cheeks until his face was the color of the setting crimson sun.

Aragorn groaned and Arwen quickly sat up, arranging her dress. She did not move from her husband's thighs, instead settled more comfortably atop them and covered as much of his bare skin with her dress as she could.

"What is it?" Aragorn demanded, making no effort to hide the annoyance in his voice.

"There - there is an envoy from the North who wish to set up trade routes with Annuminas." The Chamberlain answered quickly, struggling to remember just what message he deemed necessary to deliver. "I thought it best to find you to officiate such a trade."

"Has not Aldamir conducted trade with other people's in my absence?" Aragorn pinned the Chamberlain with a stern stare as he pushed himself into a sitting position. Arwen settled back on his legs but took great care in making sure her husband was still covered.

"Yes, but, since you are here, I thought it best that you make your presence, and authority, known to the people of the North."

"My people, the Dunedain, know me quite well." Aragorn gritted his teeth. "I was, I am, their Chieftain. Since it was they that have settled Annuminas, it would be quite difficult to forget my former presence in their lives."

"My Lord," The Chamberlain swallowed nervously, careful not to look at the Queen and her pale skin that glowed with the aftermath of loving. His disgust at witnessing, even having such knowledge, of this encounter warred with his amazement that she could possibly look any more beautiful. His voice dropped to a barely audible whisper. "I did not expect to find - find…"

"What?" Aragorn snapped, his patience nearing an end.

"You!" The Chamberlain cried, his temper snapping thanks to the King's tone and his own embarrassment. "Frolicking like children outside where anyone could see you. You are the King, you have a reputation…"

"You forget yourself!" Aragorn lifted Arwen off his lap and stood, uncaring as to his state of undress. He'd grown up with the elves and was quite unconcerned with nudity or relations with a lover under the sun or stars. He did, however, pull his breeches up and fasten them as he seethed in anger. "I AM the King and as such will pleasure my wife where and how I please!"

The Chamberlain took a step back as the King's tone changed to one he had never before heard. He averted his eyes as the King returned to some normal state of undress. Even Arwen cringed at Aragorn's seething tone, causing the Chamberlain to wince at the anticipated scathing remarks that were to follow.

An authoritative tone crept into Aragorn's voice as he continued. "Now, you will go back to the City and inform Aldamir that, by my leave, he will negotiate a trade between Arnor and its newly arrived guests."

"But, My Lord," The Chamberlain's voice trembled. "He has asked for you to-"

"Did you not hear me?" Aragorn interrupted hastily. "Those are my instructions. You may inform him that will be along shortly.”

At the man’s hesitation, Aragorn added, “Carry them out and trouble me no more this night!"

Arwen approached her husband and rested a gentle hand on his shoulder. Her touch seemed to calm his raging temper and the Chamberlain breathed a huge sigh of relief. But, when the man's eyes flitted over Arwen's very inappropriately dressed form, Aragorn growled and took a step toward the man who was now understandably frightened for his continued safety.

"You are dismissed!"

The Chamberlain wasted no time in putting as much distance between himself and the enraged King as possible. He stumbled over tree roots in his rush to escape, cursing as he hit the ground with a loud grunt. He picked himself up quickly and tossed a look over his shoulder to make sure the couple hadn't noticed.

They hadn’t.

But those spying from the bushes, had.