thedunadan (thedunadan) wrote in madisonvalley, @ 2020-03-06 06:05:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | !closed, !completed gdoc, !log, ~2020 march, ~~aragorn (thedunadan), ~~~henry tudor (kinghenrythe8th) |
WHO: Aragorn and Henry Tudor
WHAT: A kingly conversation
WHEN: Last night
WHERE: Lou's
WARNINGS: Nah
STATUS: Closed/Completed Gdoc
Adjusting to Madison Valley was taking a lot of energy out of Aragorn. Everything was so different than he was used to. He no longer knew the customs of the world, and so he had to be extra careful with everything he said so as not to offend. The ‘cars’ and other automobiles still startled him with their speed and noise, and even in the woods the stars were blotted out by the bright lights of the town. It was a completely different world. That didn’t mean that there was anything wrong with it. He just wasn’t used to it at all and it made him homesick for the world he did know.
At least there were still taverns where he could go and relax with a pint. The beer was very different, of course, but not different enough that he couldn’t recognize it for what it was. Verdant was the nicer of the two bars, and since it was closer to where he’d been walking, he stopped inside and ordered a pint, then took it to a booth where he could see the people coming in. He was still too much of a Ranger to put his back to the door. You never knew where danger could come from.
As he sat, he suddenly saw a man enter who he had spoken to on the network. A man who was also a king - of a different time. He raised his hand to attract the man’s attention, gesturing for him to take a seat with him.
“King Henry, I believe?”
***
Henry had a rare evening away from caring for Elizabeth. It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate the fact that he was getting to know his daughter better than he would have at home, but… caring for a four year old by himself was exhausting. So he took the opportunity to stop by Verdant in order to get an ale or a glass of wine or something. He wasn’t going to be too picky about what he drank. He learned that he couldn’t afford to be as picky as he had been back home.
His attention was grabbed by a man he recognized from the network. He had spoken to this man, but only over the network. And if he remembered correctly, his name was Aragorn. It was easy enough to remember, as it was similar to Aragon. Aragon, from where his first wife hailed.
“Aragorn,” he said, softly. “Heir to the throne of Gondor.” He had never heard of Gondor, but he remembered that much. “How are you finding it here?”
***
“Odd,” he admitted. “It is very much unlike the world I come from, and it has taken some getting used to. The customs are very different. Even the language is different. I feel very out of place, to be honest.”
He picked up his pint and took a sip.
“But if I must adapt to this place, then I will. And I see that I have very little choice in the matter. How have you adjusted so far?”
***
“It is odd for me as well,” he told the man as he settled into the seat across from Aragorn. “I come from a different time, one in the past. Five hundred years or so in the past. So much has changed since my time, it is a bit difficult to adjust.” He wasn’t usually this honest with people, but he felt that as a fellow king, Aragorn deserved the truth.
“I do not believe we have much choice in the matter, as much as I hate to admit it. I am not accustomed to not having much say about where I go or when, though.” Not since he became king, at least.
“My daughter seems to be adjusting far better than I am. But I believe that children are far more adaptable than adults.”
***
“Your daughter is here with you? That is a blessing, at least.” He himself did not have any children, although he dreamed of having them some day. Beautiful children, as they would have to be with Arwen as their mother.
“But you are correct. There is very little choice in the matter. Whatever is here is stronger than us. I like to think that it brought us here for a reason, and that we have some part to play. Perhaps I am wrong, but the thought at least gives me comfort.”
***
“One of them is. I have two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth. Mary is very nearly an adult, where Elizabeth is four.” He neglected to inform Aragorn that they were from two different wives. That part wasn’t important, right? No, he wasn’t trying to hide that fact, but he wasn’t offering the information freely, either.
“While it is a bit strange for me to be the sole caretaker of Elizabeth all of the time, I am still glad that she is here with me. She reminds me of home. And her mother died back home, so I would much rather have her here with me, than there.”
“I do not believe you are wrong. There has to be some reason for our being here. I do not like the idea that we are here just for another’s entertainment.”
--
“Congratulations,” he smiled. He couldn’t keep his mind from wandering to the future family he wished to have with Arwen, but he was happy for Henry nonetheless. To have children , a family...peace. It seemed something so distant to Aragorn, but it was something that he yearned for regardless.
“I am sorry to hear about her mother. That must have been terrible to you.” Even imagining Arwen’s death made him lose his breath and his heart skip a beat. Life without her would certainly not be worth living, and he didn’t know how he could ever go on.
***
Henry wouldn’t say that he had a happy family. Not really. Far from it, actually. He had divorced Mary’s mother, he’d had Anne Boleyn beheaded. It was far from a happy family, but at least he didn’t have to worry about that at this particular moment. Not here, anyway. If and when he was ever sent home, then he’d have to worry about it.
“I believe it was harder on Elizabeth. To lose her mother when she is so young…” No, it hadn’t truly bothered Henry. He had been in love with Anne at one point, but at the point of her death? He had not.
“I feel guilty that Elizabeth had to lose her mother.”
***
Aragorn could tell that perhaps things weren’t as they seemed, but it didn’t seem like it was any of his business. They were, after all, only acquaintances and he did not wish to push himself into places that he was unwelcome.
“Children are quite resiliant,” he said with a nod. “She will get through it. It is true that a girl needs a mother, but especially here, I am sure that she will have many mothers to spare. The people here seem quite kind.”
***
No, things were not exactly as they seemed when it came to Henry Tudor. Especially if one wasn’t familiar with the history of this world, or the history of England. Which was one reason he decided he liked Aragorn. Because Aragorn didn’t know about his history, so he had no preconceived ideas about Henry and his life. But if Aragorn asked? Henry would be truthful with him.
“There is one woman here who has taken a liking to Elizabeth,” he said, after a moment. “She met Elizabeth when my daughter is a young woman instead of a young child. Apparently she is to become the Queen of England after my death.” Which was a little odd to Henry, honestly. He had always thought he would have a son. An heir.
“What is your home like?” he asked.
***
“That is lucky for you,” he nodded. “She can help teach her the things that a young lady needs to know. Especially a young lady who will become quite an important person.” Women were not often queens in his world, at least among men, but he saw no reason why it could not be so. There were many Elven Queens, such as Galadriel, and they did a wonderful job ruling their kingdoms.
“My home is at war,” Aragorn said sadly. “It is a war that I do not know that we will win, but at least if we do not, I will not survive.” He would not want to live in a world where the Darkness in the east had taken over everything.
***
“That is unfortunate,” he said, after a moment. He understood that sometimes war was necessary, but it was not something he wished upon people. At least, not for extended periods of time. And if Aragorn believed that he was not to survive if they did not win the war? Well, that made him hope that they did, for Aragorn’s sake. He understood that he didn’t know the man very well, but he did not wish for him to die should he return home. At least, not because of war.
“Do you have anyone from home? I hear there are people from different times here, but the same world. Perhaps you can get answers from friends from home, if you so wish.” Though he wasn’t sure if Aragorn would want to know what his future held.
He knew that he already knew more about his future than he wanted to know.
***
Aragorn knew for a fact that he would not survive if they lost the war. He would never give up as long as he lived, and would fight against any odds. He would have to be killed before the war would end. He desperately hoped that they would win, but if they did not, well, he would go down fighting.
“I do,” he said. “My friend Legolas is here. And my beloved and her father.” Many people from his world had been appearing lately. He did not mind this. “But I don’t know for sure if I want to know my future. It seems a bit like bad luck to know things that you cannot change.”
He took a drink of his beer and smiled.
“But let us not talk of such dark things.” He lifted his glass in a toast. “To this place, and to hope for the future.”
***
“I do not blame you for that,” he said, after a moment. “I already know more about my future than I wanted to know. It feels a bit strange, knowing what is going to happen. I almost wish I had not learned what I have about it.” He offered Aragorn a small smile. “And it will not change anything about your life here if you learn, so… it just depends on if you want to know or not.”
He smiled a bit at the man’s words, “Yes, I completely agree. We do not need to talk about such things. It is best to think of the future of Madison Valley, and what this place has to offer.” Because they were stuck here, and not back in their own worlds.
It wouldn’t do for anyone to worry about their future in their worlds.