Title: A Perfect World

Author: Misty

Rating: G

Summary: Aragorn imagines his perfect world. This story was written for the Middle-earth Express prompts #73: Garden and #74: Wish. I had the idea for the first prompt, but it fit the second one even better, so it's a combined prompt. And while this story is not a songfic, it was inspired by the song "If everyone cared" by Nickelback.

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Tolkien. I have no claim to them.

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Taking a deep breath, Aragorn inhaled the scent of honeysuckle, roses, and a myriad of other flowers floating on the gentle night breeze. Glancing up, he saw stars twinkling down on him, stretching as far as the eye could see like diamonds upon the velvet background of the sky. As a gentle gust sent strands of dark hair dancing across his face, Aragorn reached a hand up and brushed the hair tenderly back behind the ear of the one to which it belonged. Arwen turned to him with a smile from where she lay in the crook of his arm. Her hand touched his as he lightly traced her cheek with his fingers. She turned his hand over and entwined her fingers with his, staring deeply into his eyes. His breath caught in his throat as he saw the intensity of her love in those mysterious grey depths.

"Is this a dream?" Aragorn asked her softly, still amazed that she returned his love. It seemed unbelievable to him that this princess among the elves could love a mortal man such as he. That she had pledged herself to him still struck him dumb every time he thought upon it. "This cannot be real, can it?" He glanced around as if to check for himself that he was not dreaming. His gaze swept over the secluded corner of Lady Galadriel's private garden where they now lay upon the grass, enjoying the clear summer night. A smile crossed his face as he watched the fireflies lighting up the darkness around them, echoing the twinkle of the stars all about them.

"This is no dream, my love," Arwen's voice whispered into the dark. She brought their joined hands up and softly pressed her lips to the back of his hand.

Aragorn tightened his arm around her shoulders. "I wish this night could last forever. There could be no other place as perfect as this."

A serious look came into Arwen's eyes, chasing away the dewy, romantic gleam that had been there moments before. "I also wish the world could be such a perfect place as this garden, but it is not so, not yet. There is a great deal still to be done before that can come to pass, and you have a large part yet to play."

Unable to hold her gaze, Aragorn averted his eyes back toward the stars above. "I do not know if that is a task I will be able to fulfill. Arda is full of such evil and malice, and not only from Sauron's creatures. Even within the hearts of men lurk hatred, pride, and deceit. How will we be able to create a world of peace when we have so much to overcome?"

Arwen reached her free hand over and turned Aragorn's face toward her. "It will not be an easy road, or a short one. But you will overcome all obstacles in your path, Aragorn. As long as you hold true to yourself, there is no challenge you will not be able to conquer. Do not let despair hold sway over you. As you journey the paths your life will take you down, remember tonight. Hold to us, to the love we share. You will show the world how it can be a better place, how love can overcome hate, caring and compassion can overcome pride, and the truth will always triumph over deceit. You will help build a world of peace, Aragorn, and I will be at your side as you do, helping you to do so."

Staring deeply into her eyes for a long moment, Aragorn saw the confidence in her eyes, the surety that they would prevail, and evil would be vanquished. Smiling down upon her, he raised himself up on his elbow to lean over her. "With you at my side, I believe we can create the perfect world." All doubts were vanquished for the moment as he lowered his lips to hers in a kiss to seal their vows to fight for a world free of war and strife.