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AWanderersHaven: That has always been my problem, but this is shaping up better(so far) than lots of my other stories.

WARNING: This is slightly a filler chapter... I needed something to lead it where it's going to go... so... filler! But not completely. Just... partially. Yeah.

Chapter 4

Middle-earth, Still Day 2

Events of today: found that baths here are freezing cold. The tub was wooden and the water was like ice, but maybe I truly am just a wimp. It felt good anyway, in that weird my-skin-is-numb kind of way.

I have been supplied with proper attire, though the dress is much too long for me. Erendis, who is a very lovely servant girl, promised me that they would hem another dress. I am so short compared to the Gondorians.

After I was cleaned up, Erendis and I went to find some food. Faramir found us there. And then the King met us. Oh, and he found me on the floor where I had tripped after trying to curtsy, and I knocked Erendis down as well.

Yes. I officially want to crawl into a hole and die of mortification.

Mentally I pieced together my next journal entry. Oh, and I had forgotten to add the part about the cheese! For that was the reason that both Erendis and Lord Faramir had appeared amused; I had a bit of cheese stuck to my cheek, and had failed to notice it. Luckily, I was able to remove that before showing my beet red face to the King of Gondor, who stood next to Faramir, looking down at myself and Erendis, a smile creasing familiar lines on his face.

Well, it seemed I was at least amusing the people here. Perhaps I could become employed as the court jester... I wondered if they even had court jesters.

I got to my feet, brushing the skirt of the dress self-consciously. I dared not attempt another curtsy, so I just bowed my head and bent my knees slightly. Curstying was silly anyway.

When I finally built up the courage to look the King full in the face, I was met with grey eyes, the story of long years of hardship hiding behind the initial gentleness. His face was rugged and lined, telling of the many years I knew he had spent outdoors through all kinds of weather. The resemblance between him and Viggo Mortensen was trivial to say the least. A few similarities but nothing extraordinary. His hair was darker but not without streaks of grey, which I thought made him look refined. He was not dressed in the fine attire I had assumed would befit a King. What he wore had more the appearance of travel clothing.

Faramir went to him and they spoke to each other quietly for a few minutes. I tried to resist fidgeting and looked over at Erendis, who looked as though she was trying to blend into the wall.

"Come, lady." Faramir bade me follow him and the King. Nerves immediately kicked in. Not only was I in the presence of a great King, I had an impossible story to relate to him! Surely, they would think me mad! Rambling on and on about another world, from hence I had been transported? How could they possibly believe it?

I wondered at what year it was, calling to memory every scrap of information I had memorized through my reading. I was glad that I had been so dutiful an English student, that my speech was, in fact, very proper. Back home I had been teased, but here it served me well, for I wouldn't want to puzzle them further by talking like all those girls back home. I'm, like, soooo excited to meet you, Aragon! Or Aragorn. Whatev. Dude, is that Faramir? David Wenham was sooo hot! I mocked the girls in my mind and snickered to myself. Faramir shot me a curious glance over his shoulder and I immediately quieted. I wondered how I might explain how I knew so much of their country and people, my extensive knowledge about their history.

The kitchens were a long distance from wherever the King had walked from. I could not bring myself to think of him as Aragorn alone, for it seemed so disrespectful and not mindful of his present position of power. I knew he wasn't the kind of King who would never deign to walk where servants go, and that was why he had come himself. I knew that at times in his life he had been treated worse than a commoner.

We finally made our way into a small room, and I was not precisely sure where we were. So many turns and paths throughout this City. I wondered at how they didn't manage to get lost every day. The room appeared to be the King's study, with a sturdy wooden desk and chair, and shelves lined with written works that I felt sure were the City's records.

"How did you find yourself in the White City, lady?" Faramir asked me.

I chewed on my lower lip and debated my options. Tell them the truth and most likely have them think me mad, or make something up. But nothing could account for my strange clothing at the time, or, really, anything else. And since I didn't want to lie to these men, I opted for the truth.

"I was... transported here from my own land, which is not at all connected with Middle-earth. I'm not sure how it happened or... why it happened, but I suddenly found myself in the Pelennor. I could see Minas Tirith in the distance, so I walked here, my lord. " I could now only pray that they wouldn't think me completely insane. The nervous fidgeting kicked in full-force. It was one of my many horrible habits. At any given time when I felt uncomfortable, I would fidget uncontrollably. My feet and hands would move of their own volition. I clasped my hands tightly behind my back in an effort to stop it.

"For someone not from Middle-earth, you seem to know a great deal about us." The King commented. I was amazed that he did not appear to have any doubt of my story.

"King Elessar, where I come from, you and your people are... well known. There are books written about the adventures of Frodo on his quest to destroy the Ring of Power. I know all about your past, the cities' past, really, everything there is for me to know about Middle-earth." I didn't dare try to explain about the movies.

The King and Faramir looked at each other. I could see they were conflicted and confused. I wondered how I would feel if some stranger came to my house and knew all about me and my country.

"This would explain her strange attire on our first meeting, my lord." Faramir addressed the King. Elessar nodded.

The King examined the girl in front of him. She was short, far shorter than any Gondorian, but she was clearly not a Hobbit nor a Dwarf. She didn't appear to be any older than sixteen winters. She spoke the Common Tongue well, though her accent was none that he was familiar with. In her eyes he could see the truth of what she said.

His brow knit as he thought. He longed for the counsel of the Elves, for surely Elrond or Galadriel would have had some knowledge or insight as to their strange new guest. This was truly the strangest encounter he had ever experienced. He would settle on letting the girl stay here, and send word for Legolas to come as soon as possible. At the moment it appeared to be the easiest route. Elessar felt sure the girl would cause no trouble.

"What is your name?" The King asked.

"Anna, my lord." She answered shyly.

"Well, Lady Anna, you will be a guest in my house, until such a time comes as you wish to leave us." He said with a gentle smile. The girl's shoulders visibly fell in relief.

"Thank you, my lord." What else could I say? I was in Middle-earth, and was being met with hospitality, which I had never expected. At the least I had expected them to feed and clothe me, and send the strange outsider on her way. As I left, I chided myself. I shouldn't have expected that, for Aragorn was a kind and gracious King.

Faramir led me back to my room, for which I was grateful. Who knows how long I would've wandered before finding it again.

Erendis was waiting for me, sitting on a chair and altering a new dress. She looked up and smiled shyly as I entered.

"What did the King have to say, Lady Anna?" She asked. I figured we would have to work on her calling me Anna, seeing as how I was staying for an undetermined amount of time.

I found myself blurting out my entire story, exactly what I had told the King. Erendis's eyes grew large in disbelief. But once I had finished, she just looked at me like she had known all along I wasn't from Middle-earth, but never would've said anything. Besides, she wouldn't have known any other place I could've come from.

With a sigh I plopped on the bed in what was likely to be a most un-lady-like manner. I stared at the ceiling on the room and in a moment's time I was asleep.

A/N: It's only been a few weeks since I've updated, which is incredibly good for me.

The reason it took so long is because I couldn't figure out which direction to take it in. At first I was going to have Aragorn let her stay but send word to Elrond and Galadriel for their council, only since I don't have a firmly set timeline at the moment, I don't know if they would've already left for the Grey Havens, the date of which I couldn't find anywhere anyway. So... yeah.