I had this in my bookmarks for ages, but when I saw this story popping up here, I decided I finally had to read it.
I always love a good angsty Aragorn story and I especially liked the timeframe you used. There's a lot to explore in the relationship of Arwen/Aragorn/Elrond and I found your take on things quite convincing. And as a bonus you had a strong Arwen, actively participating in the plot and speaking up for herself. More often than not he's a mute puppet who just looks good and you never know WHY Aragorn would be attracted to her. And I loved the carrot/horse comment - that's how it always felt to me as well...
Now, on the part 2!