Summary: The daughter of Faramir and Eowyn goes with her parents to Minas Tirith. There she meets Prince Eldarion. Her opinion of him is nothing good and she avoids him as much as possible. An unexpected announcement from her parents...
"Aralen, come. Your father and the Prince are waiting." I heard my mother Eowyn's voice from the other room and groaned inwardly. Giving one last slow brush to my wavy golden hair, I rose and left the room slowly, wishing to stall as much as possible.
My parents, Eowyn and Faramir, had taken me on their journey to Minas Tirith, arriving two days ago. There were rumours of a new threat possibly uprising, and my father had been summoned by King Elessar.
I watched as my mother and father walked together down to the dining hall, leaving me to glare at Prince Eldarion. He offered his arm to me with a slight smile on his face-it could have been a smirk. Not wanting to seem rude, and also knowing it was the proper thing to do, I took it and let him lead me down the hallway.
Prince Eldarion was perhaps a little older than my eighteen years, I wasn't quite sure. He resembled his father, the King, in many ways. I knew I took after my mother, with golden hair and blue eyes. My father also said I was more like my mother in personality than anything else.
My long blue gown swished against the floor, the only noise. Eldarion knew I thought little of him, and I suspected he thought no better of me. I truly did not care what the obviously snobby Prince thought of me.
When we first arrived and I met him, I tried to be polite...
Prince Eldarion smiled at me and my mother as we curtsied to him. King Aragorn and my father were walking together and talking in low voices, and Queen Arwen engaged my mother in conversation.
"Would you care to walk with me, my lady?" Prince Eldarion asked me. I smiled and politely took his arm as he led me around, telling me what building was what and such things.
We had just started walking among the gardens when I tripped and fell. It was because of the long skirt of a dress that was too big.
And he laughed. He laughed. That boy had the gall to laugh at a lady who had tripped and fallen.
I reflected on the day with misery and sent an icy glare at the Prince. That had undoubtedly been the most embarassing day of my life, by far. This whole encounter explained the bitter silence between us.
Later that night my mother had teased me when I told her. "No hope of becoming Queen?" She asked me with a smile. I was then wishing I had never told her, at the age of 10, that I had always wanted to be a Queen, especially the Queen of Gondor.
I now knew I wouldn't want to be Queen of Gondor for all the treasures in the world, not after having him laugh at me the night before, and felt myself extremely silly for ever entertaining such a ridiculous notion.
We arrived just after my parents. The King and Queen were already seated. I sat down next to my mother, who was talking with Queen Arwen. Eldarion sat down on my right, but I turned away from him, trying to sound interested in the conversation passing between our mothers.
The first course was served. Though I was not hungry, I ate anyway, knowing if I didn't the look that would pass between my mother and my father.
I retired to my room as soon as was possible and lay down on my bed. I was still reprimanding myself for liking the Prince-before I knew him- just because I had wanted to be a Queen when I was still a child.
After a while I heard a knock on my door and my mother's head appeared. I knew there was a talk coming. She came in and sat on the edge of my bed, next to me, and started playing with my hair.
"You and Prince Eldarion don't seem to be getting along too well," she stated. I shook my head. "No more hopes and dreams of becoming Queen of Gondor?" She said with a slight laugh.
I turned to look at her, my face unusually severe. "Mama, that was when I was a child. I would not want to marry that arrogant man for all the treasues Middle Earth could possibly offer." I let out a deep breath.
"You are growing up, Aralen. A marriage cannot be escaped." She said slowly. I looked around for a minute, suspicious and then my gaze settled on her.
"Mama?" I asked her, hoping she was not about to say what I thought she was going to. "Your father and I have been discussing it for several weeks, and have consulted the King and Queen. They both agree you should make Eldarion a good wife." She smiled, trying to soften the blow.
Realization dawned on me suddenly. I collapsed against my mother. Then I sat up, suddenly, and looked at her accusingly. "How? How could you do this to me?" I demanded.
"Aralen," My mother said calmly, "you must marry eventually. And we all think it is best for you and Eldarion to get married." I sat back down and looked at her sadly. Tears were threatening to spill over at this sudden announcement, this loss of liberty soon coming. She held me to her and let me cry out all emotions until there were no tears left.
"Get some rest, daughter of mine," She said, opening the door. "Tomorrow the announcement is made to the kingdom." With that she left, leaving me alone.
Sleep eluded me as I thought about what my parents had done to me. "...you should make Eldarion a good wife."... "We all think it is best for you and Eldarion to get married." My mother's words echoed in my head nearly all night until I fell into an uneasy and dreamless sleep.
A/N: Well? What think you! Review, please!