Brotherhood, chapter Seventeen.
31 Jul 2009 06:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
curiouswombatHere we go folks - the chapter in which we find out what it was that Tindómë overheard in the library...
So - previous chapters are Here.
Chapter Seventeen.
Rating 15
3,400 words.
Beta'd, as usual, by S2C.
Chapter Seventeen
Shopping in Minas Tirith was not exactly Mall of America but there was a definite ‘down town’ area, with a variety of shops selling different products, and more than one market. Nessy was happy to go shopping during working hours, with the Queen’s personal permission, and to take as long as Tindómë wanted; the morning was fun.
Arwen said that, not only were there still trunks and trunks of spare clothing, but she had Gondorian style dresses that were long enough for Tindómë if she wanted to borrow them. With a fairly simple dress from Arwen’s wardrobe, a gold coloured embroidered cloak from the ‘stock room’, and her hair swept up in the local style, Tindómë no longer attracted as much attention. She looked like a lady of substance and the plainly dressed Nessy, accompanying her as her maid, confirmed this.
Nessy was a comfortable companion. She didn’t even seem to be interested in whether Tindómë was an elf or a human – her rounded ears drew no comment, as Nessy helped with her hair, because Nessy had seen them before.
They looked at fabrics, shoes, ribbons, jewellery, all the girly stuff, and Tindómë bought beads for both her own hair and Rumil’s.
Once back in the King’s House Nessy took the cloak and went to do maid-type things. Tindómë looked for the ellyn but they were out somewhere, Arwen and Aragorn were having their ‘quiet time together’, and so she found some fruit and bread in the private dining room before heading for the library.
The library had a high ceiling, tall windows to let the light in, and high shelves full of books and scrolls. Tindómë thought it was, probably, her favourite place in Minas Tirith – even better than Arwen’s garden.
Although much grander than she remembered the High School library being, this one still brought thoughts of Sunnydale but there was no longer any sense of homesickness. She selected a history book, chronicling the battles between King Rómendacil and the Easterlings, and sat at a table by a window.
All was quiet. The librarian, a young man who walked with a stick and whose face bore witness to the battle of the Pelennor Field, was nowhere to be seen. When the door opened Tindómë expected it to be him but the footsteps were too regular. She had a fleeting expectation that it might be Giles, which made her smile, and then she realised that actually two men had come in.
They talked quietly as they walked towards a dark corner. Tindómë was about to shut them out of her thoughts, and return to her book, when the words ‘elven overlord’ caught her attention; her eyes remained trained on the book but she began to concentrate her attention on the conversation.
One of the men must have gestured in her direction, although she didn’t hear him speak, but the other one told him not to worry as ‘the maiden’ was too far away to hear and clearly deep in ‘some romance’.
Tindómë resisted the urge to say ‘Hello? Serious historical reading going on here!’
It sometimes came in useful that so many of the males of Middle Earth habitually underestimated women; although it occurred to her that her hearing was also sharper than someone might expect for an ordinary young woman. This could be a very good thing, right now, she thought; somehow libraries seemed to attract people who didn’t want to be overheard, and this conversation might well be worth overhearing.
One man seemed to be sounding out if the other one was unhappy with ‘the current regime’. Part of Tindómë couldn’t believe that anyone might be unhappy with the way Aragorn was ruling Gondor, but another part of her was all too well aware, after years of reading historical documents both in Sunnydale and with Lord Celeborn, that there was always someone who wasn’t happy.
She expected the second man to say he was perfectly happy, and the conversation to end, but, to her surprise, there seemed to be some agreement between them than things were not to their liking. Head bowed, she listened very, very, carefully, getting the gist of the conversation even if not always whole sentences.
“Ignoring tradition…”
“Certainly not the true King, no claim to the throne at all.”
“Behaving like some common foot-soldier and a serving wench…”
“A by-blow of the so-called ‘Lord’ Elrond, although his mother might well have been the widow of the ‘heir’; if you believe that such wild Northerners could be considered as heirs to the throne of Gondor…”
“And he makes no secret of it – he calls those unnatural males his brothers – not his brothers-in-law. I have heard him with my own ears.”
“...good thing the child is only a girl…”
“Something will have to be done before a male is born from the incestuous relationship with the she-elf…”
“...already spent time in her bed – and the brat not even formally named yet.”
“…other males in her bedroom as well…”
Tindómë had to draw on every ounce of self-control to maintain a straight face and not show that she was even aware of the two men – the past couple of weeks of ‘maintaining her proper elven dignity’ when in company had certainly helped. She wasn’t sure if, even a few weeks ago, she could have listened to such a… a… horrible conversation without going over and punching both of the men, let alone showing no emotion.
“I know of one or two others… there must certainly be more,” the first man was saying, his voice a little louder and closer – they must be leaving the library.
Tindómë desperately wanted to get a good look at them, but couldn’t lift her head in case they noticed, however she watched them approach the door as well as she could with her head still down and apparently oblivious to them.
As soon as the door closed behind them she got to her feet; words spinning in her head. “By-blow… so-called Lord… she-elf… unnatural males… incestuous… brat…” She wanted to wash the insults out of her brain but really needed to remember them as clearly as she could.
Before she reached the door it opened again admitting the librarian. The young man looked at her with a slightly puzzled air and she realised that he didn’t immediately recognise her as the elleth the King himself had introduced him to a few days before. She was wondering whether to enlighten him, or just dash past to see where the men had gone, when it occurred to him who she was.
By the time he apologised for not recognising her with her hair up, and made friendly enquiries as to what she had been reading, she realised it would be too late. She took a few deep breaths and tried to speak to him calmly until she could leave politely.
……………………………………………………………………
Who should she tell? Who could she tell?
Aragorn was with Arwen and. apart from not wanting to disturb their ‘family time’, she didn’t want to have to repeat all that she had heard in front of Arwen. Whether you thought that her faer was still recovering from childbirth, or that her hormones were all over the place for the same reason, it still wasn’t going to be a good idea for her to know that someone wanted ‘something done’ about her marriage and her child!
When she began to think calmly she realised that it probably didn’t matter whether Aragorn was told now, in an hour, or in two hours time. It would take any conspirators a lot longer than that to get a plan together, from what she had heard.
But she really needed to share what she had heard with someone; it was eating into her, she totally couldn’t just sit quietly and wait for a chance to tell the King in private! Telling someone would help her remember it all, and make it more believable, somehow. Apart from that, even though she was immortal, an accident could still stop her telling anyone.
Elladan and Elrohir? Even though it was possible that ‘unnatural males’ might amuse them more than annoy, would they remain cool and detached if the threat was to their brother and sister?
Orophin and Rumil? They had spent most of their thousand years plus in the Golden Woods but Tindómë’s conversation with Rumil, in Arwen’s garden, proved that they had not led such sheltered lives that the idea of the dissention and insults would faze them. Yes, Orophin and Rumil might be best.
She made her way to her own room as she thought about her next action and, within a few minutes, she loosened her hair and put on one of her own dresses – one laced at the front so that she didn’t need to ring for Nessy.
Now to find the ellyn.
It took very little time to discover that all four had taken their horses out onto the Pelannor for a ride. She decided to sit in the outer courtyard and await their return. She went over what she had heard, yet again, turning each phrase over and thinking about it carefully.
Could she have been mistaken; jumped to the wrong conclusion? No. No, sadly she was quite, quite, certain that she had heard two men of the Gondorian court describing their king as an illegitimate son of Lord Elrond who had no right to the throne and who had married his own sister. How the hell could anyone believe that?
She really needed to talk this over with someone… Valar… please?
She heard horses approaching the outer gateway – hopefully it would be the four ellyn, although it sounded like more than four horses… A whole party of riders came into sight; the men in front carrying the three starred white banners of the Steward of Gondor and banners with trees and a silver moon – the device of Ithilien.
As she got to her feet, to better see the new arrivals, a familiar horse dropped out of the ranks and came towards Tindómë bearing a very regal looking figure whose blond hair glinted in the sun.
The Citadel guards and the rest of the party on horseback would probably have missed the broad smile that passed fleetingly across Legolas’ face as he greeted her; “Nethig!”
‘Yes! Thank you!’ Tindómë offered up a quick prayer of thanks to whichever of the Valar had answered that heartfelt plea of a few moments before in such perfect fashion. Here was the right person to share what she had overheard.
Legolas dismounted and by the time they walked to join the rest of the party from Ithilien, before he introduced her to Prince Faramir and Princess Éowyn, he knew that Tindómë needed to speak to him about something important as quickly as possible.
As she expected, Legolas asked no questions but simply accepted her request at face value and, as Faramir and Éowyn made their way to their own wing of the Citadel, he walked with Tindómë to Arwen’s garden.
They sat by the waterfall so that the sound of the water would prevent anyone overhearing them, even should they come into the Queen’s private garden, and Legolas finally asked her what the problem was.
He listened calmly as she told him about wearing her hair up and Gondorian style clothing to go shopping, not changing before she went into the library, and so being easily mistaken for a young Gondorian lady not worthy of notice.
Anyone less familiar with elves might think that he listened just as calmly as Tindómë repeated what she had overheard, but the flash of his eyes was not lost on her. Her gwador was very, very angry.
As she came to the end of her narrative Legolas placed his hands on her upper arms, and leant forward, so that his forehead briefly touched hers.
She recognised the meaning behind the gesture; “I am angry but not with you. It was hard for you to repeat all that. I care about you.”
It was surprising how much more easily she understood those fleeting facial expressions, the gentle touches, now.
“We must tell Aragorn,” Legolas said, “but not Arwen, just yet. A page will doubtless have been sent to tell them of my arrival – I have my own suite of rooms – Aragorn will probably expect to find me there. Come.”
“Rumil said we must stick to all the Gondorian rules of propriety… even before I heard all that… stuff. Should I stay out of your rooms?”
Legolas didn’t immediately answer, although he kept a hand on her arm and kept walking towards the doorway back into the building, but when he did answer his voice was firm and concise. This, Tindómë thought, was Legolas the prince and captain of warriors.
“We will ensure there is no possibility of misunderstanding. We will leave the outer door open. There should be a mortal page, and I have Galanthir with me, you may stay in the sitting room and be spared any glimpse of my bed. Once Aragorn comes we can send Galanthir to look for the twins and the brothers. Come.”
Legolas’ suite was next to the rooms shared by the twins but, where theirs was decorated in shades of blue and deep wine red, Legolas’ rooms were in shades of greens and creams with tapestries and carvings of trees and the moon. Thought had clearly gone into personalising these suites and making it clear that the elves were to be regular, and honoured, visitors.
Legolas gestured to a door across the corridor. “Gimli will be here in a day or two.”
So, the dwarf also had his own rooms. Tindómë would have expected no less. Later, she thought, she must ask about the hobbits and Gandalf – was half the King’s House reserved for non-human visitors?
Legolas introduced her to an ellon with brown hair that glinted slightly red in the light and reminded her of Emerlas back on the fences of Lothlorien.
“Galanthir,” he said in Sindarin, “this is Tindómë, my gwethil and the beloved of Rumil Thorontórion of Lorien. Tindómë, this is Galanthir, a warrior in my patrol in Eryn Lasgalen, who now helps me nurture the trees of Ithilien.”
Before Galanthir could do more than place his hand on his chest, and nod, Legolas continued.
“Elladan and Elrohir have ridden out with Rumil and his brother Orophin. As soon as King Elessar arrives could you go to the stables and await their return? Tell them I need to see them.
“In the meantime we will ensure that no-one can think Tindómë’s presence here is anything less than respectable.”
As Legolas predicted, very little more time passed until footsteps approached and the King of Gondor swept into the room.
“Legolas, I had thought it would be another day or two before you arrived! Welcome, my friend.”
As the Gondorian page bowed, and skirted around the edge of the conversation, Galanthir faded out of the room noiselessly.
……………………………………………….
Legolas, Faramir, and Éowyn had arrived a little earlier than expected because Gimli had sent word that he would make his own way to Minas Tirith, for the naming ceremony, rather than travel first to Ithilien.
‘The Valar work in mysterious ways…’ Tindómë thought.
It was just so neat that Legolas arrived when he did, for he would know just how to tell what she had learned to the others in the best way. He was currently congratulating Aragorn on the birth of “what Tindómë tells me is a beautiful daughter”, as if nothing worried him at all, and describing the work in the woods of Ithilien with love and pride in his voice.
The page would hear nothing to make him think, for a moment, that Legolas was worried about anything. Being a Gondorian male he wouldn’t think Tindómë capable of worrying about anything serious, she thought wryly, so less need for her to remain expressionless, but it was, she decided, good practice.
After a short time Galanthir returned and spoke to Legolas. All the conversation since Aragorn had arrived had been in Common, just as the twins had usually spoken Common when there were servants present in each place they had visited on this trip, but it now switched to Sindarin.
Tindómë wondered if Galanthir, like Rumil, understood more Common than he appeared to or whether he really spoke only his own language.
“Legolas...” he began.
‘M’kay,’ Tindómë thought, ‘no hir-nín, so, definitely not only one of Legolas’ patrol, back in Eryn Lasgalen, but also a friend.’
“The sons of Elrond and the sons of Thorontór have returned,” Galanthir continued, “but wish to bathe before doing anything else. They will be with you very shortly.”
“You will see them at dinner, Legolas,” Aragorn said, “and surely you too will want to bathe before we eat?”
His voice remained light and unconcerned, but he lifted an eye-brow and gave Legolas a sharp glance.
“Tindómë and I need to talk to you all, without your wife,” Legolas said, flatly, in Sindarin.
“We will go to my study,” Aragorn answered, equally emotionlessly, “Galanthir, can you ask my brothers, Orophin, and Rumil to join us there? Come, Legolas, Tindómë.”
………………………………………………
Elrohir wondered why Legolas had sent Galanthir to request their presence as quickly as possible, and then the same message had arrived from Estel. Something was amiss, but not with Arwen, or the baby, or else Estel would have been with her and requested his brothers without the Galadhrim.
Tindómë was already there, sitting close to Legolas, and she looked worried – so probably not anything military…
Rumil and Orophin arrived just behind Elrohir and Elladan, and Rumil immediately went to Tindómë’s other side – he must feel that she needed support.
Legolas explained that Tindómë had overheard something very important in the library and, as she began to repeat the overheard conversation, Elrohir could understand why she was worried.
Estel remained silent throughout the telling; only the tension around his eyes betrayed his emotions. The only obvious reaction in the room at all was a sharp intake of breath from Elladan when Tindómë repeated the suggestion that the relationship between Aragorn and Arwen was incestuous.
When she had finished, Aragorn took a deep breath and thanked her before looking around at the ellyn.
“We should not have suggested changing things…” Elladan began.
“I shouldn’t have sent the lady-in-waiting away…” Tindómë said.
Elrohir thought of what he should have done differently to prevent these men being so dissatisfied with the way Estel was ruling Gondor.
“No!” Legolas and Estel spoke together but it was Estel who continued.
“You were right, my brothers, to point out the damage we might be doing to Gilraen. You had every right, Tindómë, to choose to have just the maid who had served you before. These men will not have just decided that they do not like the way I rule over changes made in the past three or four days!
“But we must try to find out who they are and whether they represent the majority or, as I hope and believe, are a small minority.”
“It is hard for us to understand how anyone can feel dissatisfaction at the way you are ruling Gondor,” Legolas said, “but we will clearly all do everything that we can to ensure no harm comes to you, to Arwen, or your daughter.”
“But,” Tindómë’s voice was suddenly clear and strong – the little warrior again, “you cannot rely on just the ellyn – it would confirm what they think – that somehow they are being taken over by stealth-elves.”
“Stealth-elves?” Elladan’s voice was exactly in time with Elrohir’s.
Tindómë rolled her eyes. “I’ll ‘splain later… But you do see what I mean, don’t you, Aragorn?”
Estel nodded slowly. “I will send for Faramir. He will need to be involved.”
Elrohir heard his brother’s mental voice - they were thinking the same thing.
“Is that wise, Estel?” Elladan said.
“If they are not happy with the ‘new regime’, brother, what will they want to have in its place?” Elrohir asked.
“Surely they would wish to return to the ‘old regime’…” Elladan continued.
“And if they want to return to the rule of the Stewards,” Elrohir picked up, “then surely they would want to install Faramir in your place…”
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Odd bits of Sindarin -
gwador - sworn brother.
gwethil - sworn sister
hir-nín - my lord.
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The BtVS characters do not belong to me, but are used for amusement only. All rights remain the property of Mutant Enemy, Joss Whedon, and the original TV companies. The same is true of the LotR characters for whom all rights remain the property of the estate of JRR Tolkien and the companies responsible for the production of the films.
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It is wet. I am tired. I am back to being a taxi-service for the offspring.
So - previous chapters are Here.
Chapter Seventeen.
Rating 15
3,400 words.
Beta'd, as usual, by S2C.
Shopping in Minas Tirith was not exactly Mall of America but there was a definite ‘down town’ area, with a variety of shops selling different products, and more than one market. Nessy was happy to go shopping during working hours, with the Queen’s personal permission, and to take as long as Tindómë wanted; the morning was fun.
Arwen said that, not only were there still trunks and trunks of spare clothing, but she had Gondorian style dresses that were long enough for Tindómë if she wanted to borrow them. With a fairly simple dress from Arwen’s wardrobe, a gold coloured embroidered cloak from the ‘stock room’, and her hair swept up in the local style, Tindómë no longer attracted as much attention. She looked like a lady of substance and the plainly dressed Nessy, accompanying her as her maid, confirmed this.
Nessy was a comfortable companion. She didn’t even seem to be interested in whether Tindómë was an elf or a human – her rounded ears drew no comment, as Nessy helped with her hair, because Nessy had seen them before.
They looked at fabrics, shoes, ribbons, jewellery, all the girly stuff, and Tindómë bought beads for both her own hair and Rumil’s.
Once back in the King’s House Nessy took the cloak and went to do maid-type things. Tindómë looked for the ellyn but they were out somewhere, Arwen and Aragorn were having their ‘quiet time together’, and so she found some fruit and bread in the private dining room before heading for the library.
The library had a high ceiling, tall windows to let the light in, and high shelves full of books and scrolls. Tindómë thought it was, probably, her favourite place in Minas Tirith – even better than Arwen’s garden.
Although much grander than she remembered the High School library being, this one still brought thoughts of Sunnydale but there was no longer any sense of homesickness. She selected a history book, chronicling the battles between King Rómendacil and the Easterlings, and sat at a table by a window.
All was quiet. The librarian, a young man who walked with a stick and whose face bore witness to the battle of the Pelennor Field, was nowhere to be seen. When the door opened Tindómë expected it to be him but the footsteps were too regular. She had a fleeting expectation that it might be Giles, which made her smile, and then she realised that actually two men had come in.
They talked quietly as they walked towards a dark corner. Tindómë was about to shut them out of her thoughts, and return to her book, when the words ‘elven overlord’ caught her attention; her eyes remained trained on the book but she began to concentrate her attention on the conversation.
One of the men must have gestured in her direction, although she didn’t hear him speak, but the other one told him not to worry as ‘the maiden’ was too far away to hear and clearly deep in ‘some romance’.
Tindómë resisted the urge to say ‘Hello? Serious historical reading going on here!’
It sometimes came in useful that so many of the males of Middle Earth habitually underestimated women; although it occurred to her that her hearing was also sharper than someone might expect for an ordinary young woman. This could be a very good thing, right now, she thought; somehow libraries seemed to attract people who didn’t want to be overheard, and this conversation might well be worth overhearing.
One man seemed to be sounding out if the other one was unhappy with ‘the current regime’. Part of Tindómë couldn’t believe that anyone might be unhappy with the way Aragorn was ruling Gondor, but another part of her was all too well aware, after years of reading historical documents both in Sunnydale and with Lord Celeborn, that there was always someone who wasn’t happy.
She expected the second man to say he was perfectly happy, and the conversation to end, but, to her surprise, there seemed to be some agreement between them than things were not to their liking. Head bowed, she listened very, very, carefully, getting the gist of the conversation even if not always whole sentences.
“Ignoring tradition…”
“Certainly not the true King, no claim to the throne at all.”
“Behaving like some common foot-soldier and a serving wench…”
“A by-blow of the so-called ‘Lord’ Elrond, although his mother might well have been the widow of the ‘heir’; if you believe that such wild Northerners could be considered as heirs to the throne of Gondor…”
“And he makes no secret of it – he calls those unnatural males his brothers – not his brothers-in-law. I have heard him with my own ears.”
“...good thing the child is only a girl…”
“Something will have to be done before a male is born from the incestuous relationship with the she-elf…”
“...already spent time in her bed – and the brat not even formally named yet.”
“…other males in her bedroom as well…”
Tindómë had to draw on every ounce of self-control to maintain a straight face and not show that she was even aware of the two men – the past couple of weeks of ‘maintaining her proper elven dignity’ when in company had certainly helped. She wasn’t sure if, even a few weeks ago, she could have listened to such a… a… horrible conversation without going over and punching both of the men, let alone showing no emotion.
“I know of one or two others… there must certainly be more,” the first man was saying, his voice a little louder and closer – they must be leaving the library.
Tindómë desperately wanted to get a good look at them, but couldn’t lift her head in case they noticed, however she watched them approach the door as well as she could with her head still down and apparently oblivious to them.
As soon as the door closed behind them she got to her feet; words spinning in her head. “By-blow… so-called Lord… she-elf… unnatural males… incestuous… brat…” She wanted to wash the insults out of her brain but really needed to remember them as clearly as she could.
Before she reached the door it opened again admitting the librarian. The young man looked at her with a slightly puzzled air and she realised that he didn’t immediately recognise her as the elleth the King himself had introduced him to a few days before. She was wondering whether to enlighten him, or just dash past to see where the men had gone, when it occurred to him who she was.
By the time he apologised for not recognising her with her hair up, and made friendly enquiries as to what she had been reading, she realised it would be too late. She took a few deep breaths and tried to speak to him calmly until she could leave politely.
……………………………………………………………………
Who should she tell? Who could she tell?
Aragorn was with Arwen and. apart from not wanting to disturb their ‘family time’, she didn’t want to have to repeat all that she had heard in front of Arwen. Whether you thought that her faer was still recovering from childbirth, or that her hormones were all over the place for the same reason, it still wasn’t going to be a good idea for her to know that someone wanted ‘something done’ about her marriage and her child!
When she began to think calmly she realised that it probably didn’t matter whether Aragorn was told now, in an hour, or in two hours time. It would take any conspirators a lot longer than that to get a plan together, from what she had heard.
But she really needed to share what she had heard with someone; it was eating into her, she totally couldn’t just sit quietly and wait for a chance to tell the King in private! Telling someone would help her remember it all, and make it more believable, somehow. Apart from that, even though she was immortal, an accident could still stop her telling anyone.
Elladan and Elrohir? Even though it was possible that ‘unnatural males’ might amuse them more than annoy, would they remain cool and detached if the threat was to their brother and sister?
Orophin and Rumil? They had spent most of their thousand years plus in the Golden Woods but Tindómë’s conversation with Rumil, in Arwen’s garden, proved that they had not led such sheltered lives that the idea of the dissention and insults would faze them. Yes, Orophin and Rumil might be best.
She made her way to her own room as she thought about her next action and, within a few minutes, she loosened her hair and put on one of her own dresses – one laced at the front so that she didn’t need to ring for Nessy.
Now to find the ellyn.
It took very little time to discover that all four had taken their horses out onto the Pelannor for a ride. She decided to sit in the outer courtyard and await their return. She went over what she had heard, yet again, turning each phrase over and thinking about it carefully.
Could she have been mistaken; jumped to the wrong conclusion? No. No, sadly she was quite, quite, certain that she had heard two men of the Gondorian court describing their king as an illegitimate son of Lord Elrond who had no right to the throne and who had married his own sister. How the hell could anyone believe that?
She really needed to talk this over with someone… Valar… please?
She heard horses approaching the outer gateway – hopefully it would be the four ellyn, although it sounded like more than four horses… A whole party of riders came into sight; the men in front carrying the three starred white banners of the Steward of Gondor and banners with trees and a silver moon – the device of Ithilien.
As she got to her feet, to better see the new arrivals, a familiar horse dropped out of the ranks and came towards Tindómë bearing a very regal looking figure whose blond hair glinted in the sun.
The Citadel guards and the rest of the party on horseback would probably have missed the broad smile that passed fleetingly across Legolas’ face as he greeted her; “Nethig!”
‘Yes! Thank you!’ Tindómë offered up a quick prayer of thanks to whichever of the Valar had answered that heartfelt plea of a few moments before in such perfect fashion. Here was the right person to share what she had overheard.
Legolas dismounted and by the time they walked to join the rest of the party from Ithilien, before he introduced her to Prince Faramir and Princess Éowyn, he knew that Tindómë needed to speak to him about something important as quickly as possible.
As she expected, Legolas asked no questions but simply accepted her request at face value and, as Faramir and Éowyn made their way to their own wing of the Citadel, he walked with Tindómë to Arwen’s garden.
They sat by the waterfall so that the sound of the water would prevent anyone overhearing them, even should they come into the Queen’s private garden, and Legolas finally asked her what the problem was.
He listened calmly as she told him about wearing her hair up and Gondorian style clothing to go shopping, not changing before she went into the library, and so being easily mistaken for a young Gondorian lady not worthy of notice.
Anyone less familiar with elves might think that he listened just as calmly as Tindómë repeated what she had overheard, but the flash of his eyes was not lost on her. Her gwador was very, very angry.
As she came to the end of her narrative Legolas placed his hands on her upper arms, and leant forward, so that his forehead briefly touched hers.
She recognised the meaning behind the gesture; “I am angry but not with you. It was hard for you to repeat all that. I care about you.”
It was surprising how much more easily she understood those fleeting facial expressions, the gentle touches, now.
“We must tell Aragorn,” Legolas said, “but not Arwen, just yet. A page will doubtless have been sent to tell them of my arrival – I have my own suite of rooms – Aragorn will probably expect to find me there. Come.”
“Rumil said we must stick to all the Gondorian rules of propriety… even before I heard all that… stuff. Should I stay out of your rooms?”
Legolas didn’t immediately answer, although he kept a hand on her arm and kept walking towards the doorway back into the building, but when he did answer his voice was firm and concise. This, Tindómë thought, was Legolas the prince and captain of warriors.
“We will ensure there is no possibility of misunderstanding. We will leave the outer door open. There should be a mortal page, and I have Galanthir with me, you may stay in the sitting room and be spared any glimpse of my bed. Once Aragorn comes we can send Galanthir to look for the twins and the brothers. Come.”
Legolas’ suite was next to the rooms shared by the twins but, where theirs was decorated in shades of blue and deep wine red, Legolas’ rooms were in shades of greens and creams with tapestries and carvings of trees and the moon. Thought had clearly gone into personalising these suites and making it clear that the elves were to be regular, and honoured, visitors.
Legolas gestured to a door across the corridor. “Gimli will be here in a day or two.”
So, the dwarf also had his own rooms. Tindómë would have expected no less. Later, she thought, she must ask about the hobbits and Gandalf – was half the King’s House reserved for non-human visitors?
Legolas introduced her to an ellon with brown hair that glinted slightly red in the light and reminded her of Emerlas back on the fences of Lothlorien.
“Galanthir,” he said in Sindarin, “this is Tindómë, my gwethil and the beloved of Rumil Thorontórion of Lorien. Tindómë, this is Galanthir, a warrior in my patrol in Eryn Lasgalen, who now helps me nurture the trees of Ithilien.”
Before Galanthir could do more than place his hand on his chest, and nod, Legolas continued.
“Elladan and Elrohir have ridden out with Rumil and his brother Orophin. As soon as King Elessar arrives could you go to the stables and await their return? Tell them I need to see them.
“In the meantime we will ensure that no-one can think Tindómë’s presence here is anything less than respectable.”
As Legolas predicted, very little more time passed until footsteps approached and the King of Gondor swept into the room.
“Legolas, I had thought it would be another day or two before you arrived! Welcome, my friend.”
As the Gondorian page bowed, and skirted around the edge of the conversation, Galanthir faded out of the room noiselessly.
……………………………………………….
Legolas, Faramir, and Éowyn had arrived a little earlier than expected because Gimli had sent word that he would make his own way to Minas Tirith, for the naming ceremony, rather than travel first to Ithilien.
‘The Valar work in mysterious ways…’ Tindómë thought.
It was just so neat that Legolas arrived when he did, for he would know just how to tell what she had learned to the others in the best way. He was currently congratulating Aragorn on the birth of “what Tindómë tells me is a beautiful daughter”, as if nothing worried him at all, and describing the work in the woods of Ithilien with love and pride in his voice.
The page would hear nothing to make him think, for a moment, that Legolas was worried about anything. Being a Gondorian male he wouldn’t think Tindómë capable of worrying about anything serious, she thought wryly, so less need for her to remain expressionless, but it was, she decided, good practice.
After a short time Galanthir returned and spoke to Legolas. All the conversation since Aragorn had arrived had been in Common, just as the twins had usually spoken Common when there were servants present in each place they had visited on this trip, but it now switched to Sindarin.
Tindómë wondered if Galanthir, like Rumil, understood more Common than he appeared to or whether he really spoke only his own language.
“Legolas...” he began.
‘M’kay,’ Tindómë thought, ‘no hir-nín, so, definitely not only one of Legolas’ patrol, back in Eryn Lasgalen, but also a friend.’
“The sons of Elrond and the sons of Thorontór have returned,” Galanthir continued, “but wish to bathe before doing anything else. They will be with you very shortly.”
“You will see them at dinner, Legolas,” Aragorn said, “and surely you too will want to bathe before we eat?”
His voice remained light and unconcerned, but he lifted an eye-brow and gave Legolas a sharp glance.
“Tindómë and I need to talk to you all, without your wife,” Legolas said, flatly, in Sindarin.
“We will go to my study,” Aragorn answered, equally emotionlessly, “Galanthir, can you ask my brothers, Orophin, and Rumil to join us there? Come, Legolas, Tindómë.”
………………………………………………
Elrohir wondered why Legolas had sent Galanthir to request their presence as quickly as possible, and then the same message had arrived from Estel. Something was amiss, but not with Arwen, or the baby, or else Estel would have been with her and requested his brothers without the Galadhrim.
Tindómë was already there, sitting close to Legolas, and she looked worried – so probably not anything military…
Rumil and Orophin arrived just behind Elrohir and Elladan, and Rumil immediately went to Tindómë’s other side – he must feel that she needed support.
Legolas explained that Tindómë had overheard something very important in the library and, as she began to repeat the overheard conversation, Elrohir could understand why she was worried.
Estel remained silent throughout the telling; only the tension around his eyes betrayed his emotions. The only obvious reaction in the room at all was a sharp intake of breath from Elladan when Tindómë repeated the suggestion that the relationship between Aragorn and Arwen was incestuous.
When she had finished, Aragorn took a deep breath and thanked her before looking around at the ellyn.
“We should not have suggested changing things…” Elladan began.
“I shouldn’t have sent the lady-in-waiting away…” Tindómë said.
Elrohir thought of what he should have done differently to prevent these men being so dissatisfied with the way Estel was ruling Gondor.
“No!” Legolas and Estel spoke together but it was Estel who continued.
“You were right, my brothers, to point out the damage we might be doing to Gilraen. You had every right, Tindómë, to choose to have just the maid who had served you before. These men will not have just decided that they do not like the way I rule over changes made in the past three or four days!
“But we must try to find out who they are and whether they represent the majority or, as I hope and believe, are a small minority.”
“It is hard for us to understand how anyone can feel dissatisfaction at the way you are ruling Gondor,” Legolas said, “but we will clearly all do everything that we can to ensure no harm comes to you, to Arwen, or your daughter.”
“But,” Tindómë’s voice was suddenly clear and strong – the little warrior again, “you cannot rely on just the ellyn – it would confirm what they think – that somehow they are being taken over by stealth-elves.”
“Stealth-elves?” Elladan’s voice was exactly in time with Elrohir’s.
Tindómë rolled her eyes. “I’ll ‘splain later… But you do see what I mean, don’t you, Aragorn?”
Estel nodded slowly. “I will send for Faramir. He will need to be involved.”
Elrohir heard his brother’s mental voice - they were thinking the same thing.
“Is that wise, Estel?” Elladan said.
“If they are not happy with the ‘new regime’, brother, what will they want to have in its place?” Elrohir asked.
“Surely they would wish to return to the ‘old regime’…” Elladan continued.
“And if they want to return to the rule of the Stewards,” Elrohir picked up, “then surely they would want to install Faramir in your place…”
.....................................................................
Odd bits of Sindarin -
gwador - sworn brother.
gwethil - sworn sister
hir-nín - my lord.
.....................................................................
The BtVS characters do not belong to me, but are used for amusement only. All rights remain the property of Mutant Enemy, Joss Whedon, and the original TV companies. The same is true of the LotR characters for whom all rights remain the property of the estate of JRR Tolkien and the companies responsible for the production of the films.
......................................................................
It is wet. I am tired. I am back to being a taxi-service for the offspring.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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Date: 31/07/2009 06:33 pm (UTC)Stealth-elves ? Is that like stealth-ninjas ?
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Date: 31/07/2009 06:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 31/07/2009 07:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 31/07/2009 07:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 31/07/2009 07:29 pm (UTC)Poor Tindome. All not rosy in the garden after all. Poor Arwen. Poor Aragorn. Sodding Gondor may have deserved them in war but has not deserved them in peace.
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Date: 31/07/2009 08:08 pm (UTC)Of course the good news is that WE know that they ruled for a very long time...
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Date: 31/07/2009 08:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 31/07/2009 07:51 pm (UTC)Methinks Faramir will not be at all pleased at the idea of going back to the "old ways".
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Date: 31/07/2009 08:12 pm (UTC)I am writing that bit now. Aragorn's brothers, of course, still see him as someone very young who needs protecting!
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Date: 31/07/2009 08:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 31/07/2009 09:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 31/07/2009 09:42 pm (UTC)You brought Legolas into the story!!!! *squees quietly*
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Date: 31/07/2009 10:11 pm (UTC)Throwing him in the mix is totally my pleasure!
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Date: 31/07/2009 10:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 01/08/2009 07:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 01/08/2009 03:17 am (UTC)Re: taxi service. Oh yes. I feel you.
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Date: 01/08/2009 07:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 06/08/2009 06:44 pm (UTC)I love your Legolas:
a very regal looking figure whose blond hair glinted in the sun ... This, Tindómë thought, was Legolas the prince and captain of warriors.
And I do hope you let Eowyn get involved (in the counter plot, I mean, not with -- ahem -- an elf. Unless three isn't a crowd...)
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Date: 07/08/2009 07:35 am (UTC)Aragorn is an intelligent monarch. But the twins first reaction is to be over-protective big brothers...
I just about finished the next chapter last night - it needs me to read it myself again, and then pass it to S2C - the subject of Éowyn will certainly come up!
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Date: 09/08/2009 09:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 09/08/2009 09:46 pm (UTC)