Never back down

Aragorn could already hear the soft sobbing before he entered Melian's room. His daughter was sitting on her bed, knees drawn up to her chin and her face buried in her sleeves.

“What happened,” Aragorn asked as he seated himself next to her.

She quickly tried to wipe away the tears (with questionably results), sat up straight and gave him a guileless smile. He red and puffy eyes somewhat spoiled the queenly appearance, though.

“Nothing happened, why do you ask?”

The tone in which she had said this made him immediately suspicious. He had been a father long enough to be able to recognise the danger signals of each of his daughters. And this particular daughter was just sending him hers.

“Out of sheer curiosity on my part,” Aragorn answered, “I wondered why you were crying.”

“Does not everyone have a right to cry from time to time?”

“Of course, Melian, but generally there is a reason. Do you remember when you lost your doll?”

Melian's eyes flared with fury and Aragorn bit his lip. No good move.

“I am no longer a little girl who lost her doll, Ada. I am a grown woman and my problems are of a more serious nature.”

Which was likely true, Aragorn thought. He could well remember the time he had been twenty. That had been a tough year for him. His daughter had outgrown the rebellious phase and was becoming a beautiful but serious young woman. He wondered what could be ailing her and made a wild guess.

“It is a man, hm?”

He was startled when she threw herself into his arms and started to sob again. Definitely a man. Aragorn had hoped that it would still be a few years until the matter of love came up and that perhaps Arwen could talk with the girls. Had she not still been his baby girl yesterday? He rubbed her back and waited until her sobs ceased and she could speak again.

“Do I know him?” Aragorn asked, hoping that he had not sounded too stern.

Her response as somewhat muffled because she was still clinging to his robes.

“No, I do not think you do. His name is Ælric and he came here in the company of Elfwine. We spent much time together and today I declared my love for him. But this, this... pig only laughed into my face.”

Aragorn felt as if he had been hit into the chest. He stilled his hand and tried to get a look at her. Nobody had the right to hurt his daughter!

“Then he is a fool and not worth shedding a single tear. Do you want me to speak with Éomer?”

“No,” she cried and released him. “I will take care of him myself. He will still rue this day when he is an old man.”

As Aragorn watched her storming away, he felt a bit of pity for the man. Never one to back down, she really was his daughter.