The remains of the Fellowship arrived in Lorien weary in both body and soul, heartsick from the
loss of Gandalf.

It was a subdued group that was led deeper into the Golden Wood by the haughty border-guard,
Haldir. Though the incredible beauty of the wood did lighten their hearts a space, still that
one loss wove its way into everything they felt, leaving them darkened with grief even amidst the
joyful timelessness that was Lorien.

They were led into the presence of the Lord and Lady of the Wood, Celeborn and Galadriel. The
initial greetings were barely over when there was a disturbance from beyond the fabric-draped
doorway. They heard the door's guards challenge someone, then there was the sound of a brief
scuffle, followed swiftly by two dull thuds as the guards fell. The silky door-hanging was
brushed aside and the source of the disturbance entered the hall.

Arwen, clad in riding gear and smelling faintly of perfume and horse, looked around the hall.
She smiled briefly at the Lord and Lady, who were frowning in annoyance, then her gaze settled on
Aragorn with a proprietary air.

"Beloved!" she cried, launching herself at him, arms outstretched.

Then those present in the hall bore witness to something few living people had ever seen.

Aragorn, stout Ranger, brave Man and loyal companion, son of kings, gave a faint moan and fainted
dead away, unconscious before he hit the wooden floor.

***

He awoke to find himself lying on a soft couch with someone leaning over him. The time before he
passed out was fuzzy in his memory. He must have been seeing things, for surely Arwen was not
there in Lorien. Perhaps that bit of dried meat he'd eaten had gone bad...?

"Beloved?" came Arwen's unmistakable voice. "Beloved, do you wake?"

"Arwen?" he asked. He opened his eyes, blinked groggily up at her as his eyes slowly focused.
Finally, he saw her clearly, staring down at him in concern. "What are you doing here? You're
supposed to be in Rivendell."

Arwen grimaced. "Father was behaving strangely, as were my brothers and Glorfindel. They sought
to keep us apart, my Love, but I have escaped and once again took Asfaloth- he likes me better
than Glorfindel anyway- and took the pass over the mountains. Then I rode to Mirkwood, where I
had a long talk with Thranduil over his son's behavior-"

"You didn't," Aragorn moaned. He knew how Thranduil could be when riled, knew that whatever
Arwen had said would be bad for both Legolas *and* himself... "Please tell me you didn't."

"I did," she said proudly, a nasty gleam in her blue eyes. "That Ranger-grabbing Prince will
have *quite* the reception, if even *half* of what Thranduil said while cursing was true. I
wouldn't have thought that some of it was even physically possible, but Thranduil seems to be
very determined."

Aragorn winced. He had to remember to warn Legolas against going home for a while, at least
until his father had cooled off a bit. Perhaps he should write to Thranduil and explain about
Arwen's posessiveness? But then, surely anything coming from him would do more harm than good.
Perhaps he could ask Celeborn to do it?

He came back to himself to hear Arwen talking once more.

"-Gondor next, to speak with the Steward there about *his* son-"

"Arwen," he said, cutting off whatever it was she was saying. He had the feeling he knew the
gist of it anyway.

"Yes, Beloved?"

"You have to stop doing these things."

"Why? I'm only trying to protect you, my Love."

"I don't need your protection."

"Of course you do."

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do."

"*No*, I don't."

"Of course you do, Love."

"Arwen," the word came out with a harsh sigh. "Please. Enough is enough. I am asking you to
stop."

"I can't do that, Beloved. So many try to take you from me-"

"Arwen, the only one managing to drive us apart is *you*."

"What?" Arwen asked, deep blue eyes uncomprehending. "What do you mean, my Love?"

"I mean, Arwen, that unless you stop these childish acts, I will not even *consider* marrying you."

Arwen's eyes widened in shock, then narrowed in speculation. "Who has done this to you, Beloved?"
she asked, stroking his face gently. "The border guard, Haldir? No, he's too arrogant; you
wouldn't listen to *him*. Who, then? Ah!" Her eyes widened in realisation, then sparked with
anger. "My own grandparents plot against our happiness! How *dare* they!"

"No- Arwen- wait!" Aragorn stuttered as she got up and rushed out of the room, nearly running
over a grey-clad Elf as she went. Sitting up in bed, he pulled on his boots from where they had
been sitting at the bedside, then stood. Familiar with the layout of Lorien's capital from
previous visits with his foster brothers, he ran to where he knew Celeborn and Galadriel would be
at that time of day.

Seeing the running Ranger, knowing that he wouldn't be doing so without good reason, several
Galadhrim asked where he went. Worried by his clipped responses, they hurried after him, fearing
for the welfare of their beloved rulers.

They were too late to save Celeborn and Galadriel from Arwen's actions, but yet they *were* quick
enough to find her still standing, smirking, over her work.

Quickly, the Galadhrim seized and bound Arwen, leading her away to a secure room to await the
Lord and Lady's judgement. Some of the grey-clad Elves remained behind in the hall to bear the
unconscious rulers of Lothlorien away to their bed, while yet another went to fetch them a healer.

Aragorn looked down to the silver pitcher, dented now in two spots. He shook his head. This
time, Arwen had gone too far.

***

"-And so she's been going around making trouble for anyone who even comes close to me, and
bashing them over the head," Aragorn finished. "She started with Glorfindel, then Elrond, then
Legolas and Boromir, me. She even sabotaged the supplies of the others in the Fellowship... Now
this. I don't know what to do. I tried asking her to stop, but she won't listen."

Galadriel and Celeborn sat on their chairs, in private audience with the Ranger. They both had
pounding headaches, and were *not* in a mood to be forgiving of the giver.

The two mighty Elves held quiet council for a space, then looked to Aragorn. "We shall keep her
here in Lothlorien until we can send her under full guard back to her father in Imladris. There
she will be kept under that guard until all trace of this obsessiveness is gone," Galadriel said
at last.

"Do you think that's possible, my Lady?" Aragorn queried.

"With time," she answered, "anything is possible. And though this problem shows every indication
of needing a great deal of that time, I am confident that it shall succeed."

Aragorn nodded. If they could actually accomplish that, his life would cerainly be a lot easier;
he didn't want to go through life with people afraid to get anywhere near him for fear of Arwen.

"And what are your intentions regarding your betrothal?" the Lady asked.

"I warned her that if she did this only a single time more, I would not marry her. She came
straight here to you. My word stands. I will not wed her."

"Even should she at last be cured of this obsessive protectiveness?"

Aragorn sighed. "Even then. I cannot take the risk of her having a relapse."

The two wise Elves nodded.

***

"Aragorn? Beloved? Where are you?"

Aragorn winced; Arwen's cry echoed throughout Lorien's capital city.

"Beloved, don't leave me here! Where are you? Come to me, my Love, and let me protect you!"

There was a sound of splintering wood, then shouts in Elvish as the Lorien guards once again
captured the escaping Arwen and locked her in yet another of the locked rooms. A row of broken
doors bore mute testimony to the strength behind Arwen's lithe form.

"Beloved!"

Aragorn stared off in the direction of the cries, face set. His mind was made up. He turned his
back to the cries, went over to the pavilion where the rest of the company sat eating.

"Arwen will no longer be a problem for us," he said. "The guards of Lothlorien shall escort her
back to Rivendell and keep her there."

Another sound of splintering echoed through the air.

"Are you sure?" asked Boromir wryly as yet again Elven shouts carried to them.

The Ranger grimaced in reply. "No."

"Beloved!!"

END