NOTES: Aragorn's POV

A Secret Revealed - Chapter 19

Not long after the war against Sauron, Legolas and I had travelled to Gondor.

But we arrived not as a king and a prince, but as a man and an elf, nothing and no one. We took up residence in a homely little house close to the sea, with blossoming trees outside the door and a beautiful view of the endless sea from the windows. Legolas was overjoyed that we had found such a place; he had been enchanted by the sea for a long time.

We made love on our first night in the new house, I had never known such pleasure could be received from another male; I felt as if our very souls had touched, we were truly as one. And at last I was truly happy and content.

At first, I had worried that he would sail away from me and not return, being unable to resist the call of the sea that he loved so much, but he assured me that he would not leave without me.

Sometime after we began living in Gondor, we bought a small rowing boat, and often took trips out to sea a little way on it, taking lunch and sometimes dinner with us and just sitting out at sea with nobody's company but each other's. The night sky was beautiful when viewed from the sea, and we often stayed out on the water far into the night. Sometimes I would take the boat out alone, and sit and sketch the view of Gondor from the sea. Other times, Legolas would go out alone. From the shore, I could see him lying in the boat, trailing a hand in the water and looking up at the sky.

He longed for the sea, I could tell. Though I was glad that he was with me, I knew one day he would not be able to resist its call.

One day, several years after we began living in Gondor, I was standing and watching him when I sensed someone standing behind me.

"He looks so content, doesn't he?" the voice was familiar, one that I had not heard for years.

"Arwen!" I exclaimed as I turned and embraced her. "How are you, my friend? And what brings you to Gondor?"

"I am well, thank you, and I am here to live," she replied. "I am with child." She smiled as she placed a hand on her stomach. "My husband and I decided Gondor would be a fine place for our children to grow up."

"What is finer than Rivendell?" I asked, surprised that she had left.

"Those I held dear have all but left now," she said. "Rivendell reminds me of immortality. I knew the only place I could live a truly mortal life would be in a kingdom of men. And here, I am living closer to two of my greatest friends. How are you, Aragorn?" she finished her answer with a question of her own.

"I am fine," I replied.

"And Legolas? I trust he is in good health?" she asked, looking out to sea. Legolas was now rowing speedily back to shore.

"He is, as always, very healthy. And here he comes."

We watched as he rowed the last few feet to shore, leaping lightly out of the boat and pulling it up on the land before racing towards us.

After greeting Arwen, we went with her to have lunch with her and her husband, who we had not met with since their wedding day. Aydan was a jovial man, and obviously loved Arwen a lot. I was glad she had found someone who loved her as much as I once thought I did.

Legolas and I saw them often, meeting in taverns and gatherings. I loved living here, it was wonderful to be with the one I loved, living in a beautiful place and having friends around me who did not care about whom I loved, not having a duty to anyone but Legolas and myself.

Over the years, Arwen and Aydan produced two pretty little girls, and a handsome boy, who we saw grow up and marry and produce offspring themselves, all human; all mortal.

We began to see less and less of those we knew well from the past, many had become too old to travel the long distances between us, which drew me to realise that I too was getting old. One day I would no longer be here. The thought of leaving Legolas behind sent a thousand daggers to me heart, wounding and weakening.

Legolas never seemed to age. He remained the beautiful, youthful elf I had always known him to be; his strength and agility never faltered, he was always at the peak of physical fitness. I almost wished I could say the same for myself; for more than often now I was ailed with some form of illness.

It was a cold, autumn morning, and for once I was feeling quite well; I had risen before sunrise, and together Legolas and I had stood at the windows and watched the sun rise. It promised to be a beautiful day, despite the coldness.

There was a loud knock at the door, and Legolas went to answer it. I could not hear the conversation, for my hearing had slowly got worse over the years, but when Legolas re-entered the room, I could see he bore bad news.

"What is it, Legolas?"