The characters are the property of the Tolkien Estate

The servants froze where they stood and gaped open mouthed as the King and the Steward went down on their hands and knees, crawling amidst the shattered plates and decapitated daises.

“Look!” exclaimed Aragorn, “There are Eldarion’s footprints!”

“And those smaller ones must be Elestelle’s!” Faramir added.

Still on their hands and knees, the two former rangers followed the trail across the flattened lawns.

“Sire!” a Guard protested, “Surely one of us could do that if you tell us what to look for. It is not seemly that your majesty should have to crawl on the ground!”

Aragorn’s eyes were like flints. “My son is missing!” he snapped, “Would you not do likewise if it were your child? Now go and keep searching for them!”

The tracks ceased when the lawn ended with a paved pathway and Aragorn finally rose to his feet and looked around when the path branched off in several directions.

Faramir was the first to spot a clue when he noticed something blue a few yards away.” That is part of the ribbon from Elestelle’s braids!” he exclaimed, hurrying to retrieve the object.

“There is no wind today and it cannot have blown there!” said Aragorn, “They must have gone this way! And look, here is a silver thread from Eldarion’s tunic, caught against this rose bush!”

The King and the Steward followed the path towards the main gate.

“I must admit it surprises me that they appear to be together,” Aragorn remarked, “Eldarion claims not to like girls, though how anyone could fail to like your Elestelle puzzles me. She is such a sweet little girl!”

“I did not like little girls either when I was his age!” Faramir replied ruefully as they reached the gate and Aragorn carefully questioned the sentry. “I do not think Elestelle is very keen on small boys either!”

“The only people who went in or out, were two filthy looking children,” the man said, “They must belong to a servant, who ought to be ashamed of themselves for not looking after their poor children properly! I assumed they were going to seek help at the Queen’s weekly audience for the poor as I heard them mention it. I most certainly have not seen his Highness or Lady Elestelle as they are a young lady and gentleman!”

“Come on!” Aragorn again grabbed Faramir’s arm and hurried with him towards the Great Hall.

“Where are we going?” the Steward protested, “The Guard has not seen our children!”

“What he saw sounds exactly like two children who threw food at each other and then rolled in the flowerbed!” Aragorn said grimly, “ Come we must retrieve them before they come to any harm!”

****

Eowyn tried to stifle a yawn as she marvelled at the Queen’s patience in dealing with the endless supplicants. Some were obviously scoundrels such as the healthy looking men smelling of drink who claimed to be too ill to work.

Arwen quickly despatched them to the Houses of Healing where she knew a healer would prod and poke them before giving them some very nasty tasting medicine.

Then there were the numerous poor widows, who had lost their men folk in the war, and were struggling to survive. Those, the Queen tried to find useful employment for and gave them food to build up their strength.

Saddest of all were those either sick or maimed who were unable to support themselves. They came to beg for help, often accompanied by stick thin children.

 It horrified the Queen that despite all the efforts she and Aragorn had made, there was still so much suffering in their kingdom.

At the back of the queue were two well-fed, yet filthy and bedraggled children standing hand in hand. They looked oddly familiar.  

Arwen smiled at a woman, who carried a baby with one arm and was also trying to help an older child, a little girl who had one leg shorter than the other ,who walked with a crutch.

“Can you sew?” Arwen asked the woman.

“Yes, Your majesty, “ she replied, inclining her head.

“You can earn a living then helping to make sheets for the Royal Household, which you can sew in your own home while you look after your children.” Arwen told her.

“Thank you, your majesty!” The woman was overjoyed.

“ I will have some food sent to home first,” Arwen told her, “If you speak to my maid over there, she will arrange it.”

As the grateful woman turned away, Arwen nudged Eowyn sharply in the ribs and gestured towards the two children, who were making their way through the throng of supplicants.

“Eldarion and Elestelle are here!” she whispered.

“Surely not?” Eowyn protested, “Those children look as if they live in a ditch! In any case, we left them safely with their fathers!”

“Aragorn had better have a good explanation!” Arwen said grimly, “ I would know my own son anywhere!

Just then, an agitated King accompanied by his Steward, burst into the Hall and frantically looked around them.

On catching sight of their fathers, Eldarion and Elestelle ran towards the door. Aragorn and Faramir were too quick for them, though and soon had a firm hold on their frantically wriggling offspring.

“Whatever is the meaning of this?” Arwen asked in her most imperious manner.

“What have you done to Elestelle?” Eowyn demanded angrily.

Faramir was dumbstruck.

“We were just playing hide and seek, my dear!” Aragorn replied in dulcet tones. Followed by Faramir and Elestelle, he led his son away.

“If you will excuse me, your majesty?” Eowyn hurried out in pursuit of her husband and daughter.

***

Aragorn could only watch and wince in silent sympathy whilst Faramir was soundly berated by his wife for allowing their daughter to get in such a condition. He stood firmly grasping Eldarion’s hand and glaring at his wayward son, while he debated the best method of punishing him.

“You will go to bed without any supper or a bedtime story tonight, young lady!” Eowyn scolded her now weeping daughter.

“Please, Lady Eowyn, It wasn’t Elestelle’s fault, it was mine!” Eldarion announced, casting a fearful look at his father. ”I teased her and was horrid, so please don’t be cross with her!”

Aragorn’s eyes softened although his mouth remained grim. His son had been very naughty but he was proud of his decision to take the blame.

“Very well,” Eowyn told her daughter, “ I will take you home now as you need to have a bath. Then you can have supper and your usual bedtime story.”

“This young man needs a bath too!” Aragorn announced, “ But why not bring Elestelle back later and I will tell them both a story together?”

“Thank you, I will. Elestelle has been longing for you to tell her a story,” Eowyn replied.

Elestelle smiled happily as her mother led her away.

***

Aragorn decided to bathe Eldarion himself, rather than give some unfortunate servant the task of getting the young prince looking presentable again. He had decided that Arwen was right and he needed to spend more time with boy.

He told the servants to fill the large sunken tub with hot water and bring soap and towels then dismissed them and proceeded to divest Eldarion of his filthy clothes.

The servants shook their heads as they departed, bewildered at the eccentric ways of the King. Lord Denethor would never have bathed his son!

“Your best tunic and breeches are ruined!” Aragorn scolded, rolling up his sleeves and lifting his son into the water, “ You have been very naughty today and I am disappointed with you .I expect my son to behave better! Not only that, but I will have to dismiss Laerwen for not looking after you properly!”

“Please adar, do not do that!” Eldarion pleaded, his lower lip trembling,” I should be punished instead!”

“I will think about it,” Aragorn promised,” As for you, ion nin, I expect you to help the gardener replant the daises you ruined and to spend an extra hour each day learning Quenya with your tutor for the next month!”

“Yes, adar,” Eldarion said meekly, as his father struggled to wash all the food and earth out of his hair, “Adar, there is something else I should like to do. Please may I give some of my toys and clothes to the poor children I saw this afternoon? I have so much and they have so little! I saw a boy my age with holes in his clothes!”

“Indeed you may, ion nin,” Aragorn replied, pressing a kiss on Eldarion’s damp head, “That is a very nice idea!”

***

Soon afterwards, Eldarion and Elestelle, both now spotlessly clean and clad in their night attire, were seated on Eldarion’s bed waiting for the King to tell them a story.

Arwen had scolded Aragorn for leaving the children with an inexperienced servant. She could never be angry with him for long, though, and he was now forgiven after promising it would never happen again.

“What would you like me to tell you a story about?” Aragorn asked the two children, thinking how sweet they looked, with one dark and one fair head pressed together as the looked up at him in eager anticipation.

“Please tell us about how you fought the corsairs!” Eldarion begged.

Elestelle looked disappointed as she had little interest in battles.

“But would you then tell us about how you first met Elestelle’s adar?” the young prince added,” I would like to hear that story!”

“That is my very favourite!” Elestelle beamed.

***

An hour later, Arwen entered the nursery and found her husband snoring softly with the two children both fast asleep, lying either side his lap and snuggled closely against him.

She had come to bid her son goodnight and take Elestelle back to her parents. She could not resist lingering for a few moments, though, to enjoy the peaceful scene .Not for the first time, she thanked the Valar that she had been blessed with such a loving husband and beautiful child who was truly his father’s son.

The End