Remains of the Banished | Aragorn || Lord of the Rings

XX

"I... I do not understand," Eadrid said.

Aragorn stood and offered her back her sword. She sheathed it and shook her head. "Gandalf said that you would never-"

"Gandalf showed me my selfish intents," Aragorn said, putting his hands behind his back. Eadrid looked confused. "I swore an oath to myself and the future queen that I would never fall in love with her. I could not bear to see her with the same weight that I carry. But that was selfish-"

"That was not selfish." Eadrid cut in. "I- I understand, I did the same. I don't-"

"No. It was selfish for me to think that I could do this alone, Eadrid. I need you as much as you need me to do what our destiny calls us to do. I never could have done it alone."

"So what does this mean?" Eadrid asked him.

Aragorn stepped closer to her. "What do you want it to mean, Eadrid?"

"I..."

Aragorn took another step. 

Eadrid now had to look up to him as he stood so close, looking down at her. His eyes studied her face, the way the sun shown through her light auburn hair. 

She couldn't help it when her eyes flickered to his lips. "I want..."

"Tell me what you want, Eadrid. I will do what you ask." Aragorn's voice was low, and Eadrid felt her stomach turn.

"I want you to tell me if you broke what you promised you would not do."

Aragorn furrowed his brows in confusion. 

"Did you break your oath? Did you fall in love with the queen?" Eadrid whispered. They were so close that she barely had to raise her voice.

Aragorn smiled softly and reached to cup her face. "The oath was shattered into a thousand pieces." His lips brushed against hers as he said it. 

Her hands went to his chest as Aragorn's hands wrapped around her lower back.

"I want..." She whispered and trailed off, and Aragorn finally pressed his lips against hers. His lips were soft and his hands moved to her neck as they pulled each other closer. His kisses became more desperate as Eadrid clutched his shirt, unable to pull him any nearer to her. 

Eadrid thought of the moment in Rivendell when he had stood behind her, touching her, but leaving her.

She thought of Lothlorien when he had said words that made Eadrid's stomach turn in circles, but he wouldn't touch or look at her. He couldn't touch her.

So now she kissed him like she would never see him again, and she knew he felt the same desperation. His hands moved to her waist and to her back as his tongue parted her lips. Eadrid's hands ran into his hair.

Then, she felt a very large head nudge her in the back.

"Aiyla!" Eadrid pulled away and turned to face her horse. She looked at Eadrid with pouting eyes. "I know I have not given you much attention since I have arrived, and for that I am sorry. But I am busy." She patted her muzzle then turned around to face Aragorn.

He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist, and she wrapped hers around his neck. "I have wanted to be near you from the moment you stole my horse."

"Who would have known that our destinies were intertwined in that moment?"

"Though I did not know that, I knew I wanted to follow you." Aragorn pressed his lips to hers once more. "Mostly because no one has ever dared to steal my horse." He muttered against her lips with a smirk.