Strangers no More

I do not own the rights to Lord of the Rings

Chapter Nine

Good Arrangements

Hannastog and my uncle, as ever dressed in his scarlet cloak, walked out of Hannastog's house in the fourth level of Minas Tirith after a good meal.

'You're cook is very good,' my uncle commented. 'That is the best beef I've had in years. Tell him that I'm also grateful that he remembered to cut my meat for me before hand. Since the siege it's become difficult for me,' he said as he gestured with what was left of his arm.

'I'll give him your thanks,' Hannastog said. 'I'm also glad we could come to an agreement.'

'We'll arrange their meeting at my birthday tomorrow. Usually I dislike my birthday celebration but it's the best excuse I can think of.'

'Who else will be there?'

'My other son and my nephew along with the Council, a few of the knights and some officers of the army. It won't be a large event.'

'Good. We completely agree that if they dislike each other the deals off.'

'Of course.'

'I'll see you there then.'

'Excellent,' the shook hands again and went their separate ways, my uncle to the barracks and Hannastog to the Black Powder Store.

...

'Doesn't he hate his birthday?' Rickard asked us.

It was just the usual group of us, Rickard, Markus, myself, Mathew and Edmund, sitting at our table in The Long Sword.

'He doesn't hate it,' Markus disagreed. 'I just don't think he likes getting old.'

'He's the only man over seventy I've met who can take on a Troll singlehanded,' Mathew enthusiastically said.

'Apart from the King,' I told him.

'How old is the King?'Mathew asked me.

'Eighty seven,' I answered.

After a moment of surprised silence, Markus was the first to come to a conclusion.

'He's a descendant of Numenor?'

'Where did you learn that?'

'Unlike most of you I don't spend my free time smoking and drinking. The Hall of Records is very good, if a little disorganised. I read about Numenor and it's as if Plato[1] himself wrote the history of this world.'

'Who's Plato?' Mathew asked him.

'A philosopher,' Markus answered and moved on. 'As I was saying, he doesn't hate his birthday.'

'It's odd though that he's gladly arranged a party,' I added. 'He's up to something.'

'We'll find out tomorrow,' Rickard said and then drank some of his beer. 'We'll let you know what happens, Mathew.'

'Thanks.'

...

Later that night Markus was in his room. It was the same size as his father's but it appeared much more lived in. The table was covered with books and scrolls he'd borrowed from the records and his armour stood in the corner. Everything was well organised and cleaned. Markus sat in one of his chairs cleaning his sword. It was what he did every evening as a part of his nightly rituals. His attention was pulled away from the sword by a knock on his door.

'Come in,' said Markus.

My uncle walked into the room and looked at the sword in his son's hand.

'Good evening son,' he said as he walked further in.

'Can I help you father?' Markus asked him as he pushed his sword back into its sheath.

'No I just need to talk to you,' he responded as he sat in one of the other chairs.

'Is there a problem?'

'No. You do know that I typically avoid celebrating my birthday but I have broken with tradition this year.'

'We noticed,' Markus told him. 'John thinks you're up to something.'

'You could say I am. As you know I have been friends with Hannastog for a while now. I trust him and he's a reliable man.'

'I know this.'

'And I assume you also know that he has a daughter, Hethnina.'

'Yes. I think I met her once.'

'Hannastog and I have made a marriage agreement between you and her.'

Markus took a moment to take this news in. He was surprised to say the least but he didn't say anything until he could think of the right words.

'I understand,' he said. 'I assume that the point of the party is for her and I to become properly acquainted.'

'That's right. Hannastog and I have agreed that if you and Hethnina dislike each other we'll call off the marriage.'

'Seems fair to me,' Markus agreed. 'I assume that a part of the agreement is her conversion.'

'Hannastog is fine with that as long as Hethnina is made fully aware of our religious doctrine.'

'Then I'll speak with her tomorrow at the party.'

'If you and her agree to do this I'll make the announcement at the end of the party.'

As they talked none of them were aware of the footsteps outside the room they were in.

I sat in my room, Rickard was elsewhere and I was writing a letter to Sunniva. I had only just started when Rickard burst into the room and slammed the door behind him.

'Markus is getting married,' he said in a mix between a hiss and an excited whisper.

'What?' I asked as my attention was pulled away from the letter.

'I was just going up to see Markus when I saw father walking into his room so I decided to wait while they talked. Then I heard them talking through the door and fathers made a marriage deal between Markus and a woman named Hethnina.'

'Do you know what this means?' I asked him. 'I can have revenge at last.'

'Just what I was thinking,' he said and pulled up his chair next to mine. 'I say we launch a campaign of harassment against Markus by saying things that suggest we know but we act oblivious to the whole thing. When it's announced we'll step things up by...'

'Is this what you and Markus did when Sunniva and I started getting close?'

'Getting close? Is that what they're calling it now?' he asked with a wink.

'I hate you sometimes,' I laughed. 'I'm going to enjoy annoying him.'

'We both will.'

Our laughter danced around the room.

'You better change that part,' Rickard said as he looked at the letter.

I snatched it off the table and hid it behind my back.

...

The next night

Rickard and I followed Markus along the corridor towards the Dining Room where the party was to take place. A few of the guests had already arrived and the sounds of music were dancing out of the Dining Room.

'I always liked these engagements,' Rickard said to me.

'As have I,' I agreed.

'What's got you two so comical?' Markus asked us.

'I might have been using something new in my pipe,' Rickard suggested.

'I see,' Markus said with some suspicion.

'Do you think father's got anything important planned?' Rickard said as I held in my laughter.

'Probably not,' Markus answered as he eyes the two of us suspiciously.

'Isn't Hannastog coming as well?' I asked.

'Yes,' Rickard answered quickly. 'As well as his wife, son and daughter.'

'I didn't know,' I said and I saw Markus glaring daggers at the two of us.

'You know don't you?' he asked.

'Know what?' we both asked but I couldn't hold in my laughing.

'Never mind,' he said and walked forwards a little quicker but Rickard and I didn't bother catching up with him.

'I never knew how much fun this was,' I whispered to Rickard.

'Now you know.'

We both hurried to catch up with Markus as we walked into the Dining Room. The tables had been pushed into a large U shape with my uncle at the head and the Council sitting close by. A group of musicians sat in a corner of the room playing music. Most of the guests were officers of the army who came there with members of their family. My uncle sat at the table with a cup of wine in his hand as he talked with Hannastog. Sitting next to him was a woman of about thirty, his wife Hethnera I assumed, then a man a little younger than me, his son Agnaral. Sitting furthest away from Hannastog was a woman of about nineteen or twenty. She had the same black hair and gray eyes of her father but her face bore a strong resemblance to her mother's; Hethnina. When the three of us walked into the room my uncle beckoned us to join him at the table so we did. I noticed that there were two empty seats to my uncles left and the nearest other empty seat was next to Hethnina.

'Rickard, John, you can sit with me,' my uncle told us. 'Markus, you can sit with Hethnina.'

We sat down at our places, Rickard and I staring at Markus as he walked to the seat next to his betrothed.

'Milady,' he said, remembering to remain polite.

'Sir Markus,' she said back as Markus sat next to. 'You can guess that I was surprised when my father told me about this,' she said to Markus.

'I was surprised as well.'

'I understand that for a marriage between us too happen I will have to convert to your religion.'

'Yes that's right. Father Harold's very strict on that.'

'My father has arranged for me to speak with Harold about the details of Christianity. He also said that if we can't cooperate then the marriage will not happen.'

'Yes. It's probably best for the both of us.'

...

The party was enjoyable. Most of the younger guests such as myself enjoyed some dancing to upbeat music while the older guests talked and joked about the days when they were our age doing the same. After all of the dancing and celebrating was done the meal began in earnest with several courses of delicious food.

'Well they haven't argued,' I said to Rickard. I and my cousin were discussing the situation between Markus and Hethnina.

'You're right,' he agreed. 'Do you think this means they'll agree to it?'

'Maybe,' I said. 'Most of the time no one gets the option.'

'What are you two talking about?' Edmund, who was sitting next to us, asked.

'Nothing important,' I answered quickly.

'If you say so,' Edmund said as he turned his attention to clearing what was left of the food on his plate.

Markus and Hethnina then said a few words to my uncle and her father. I couldn't hear them but the pleased looks on the faces of my uncle and Hannastog said a lot. My uncle stood up from his chair and raised his hand up to bring about silence.

'Thank you all for coming to my seventy-eighth birthday,' he said to them all. 'I am extremely grateful that you all came here for more reasons than one. Tonight I have the privilege of announcing the engagement of my eldest son Markus and Hethnina, the daughter of my friend Hannastog.'

Everyone in the room clapped their hands to congratulate the soon to be married couple who sat in dignified silence.

...

'When will the wedding happen?' I asked Markus after the party was finished and we, Rickard, Markus and I, were in Markus's room.

'As soon as the church is finished,' he answered. 'So later this year.'

'Excellent,' I said to him. 'I can't wait to write to Sunniva about this.'

'That reminds me,' he said and, looking at me. 'Will you and Sunniva ever get married?'

'I don't know,' I answered quickly. 'We've only been together for less than a month and she lives in Rohan. I'm not sure yet.'

'I'm not sure either of you have it in you,' Rickard joked as he let a puff of smoke fly from him. I was starting to hate that pipe he always smoked.

'What?' I asked him while Markus rolled his eyes.

'Nothing,' he said with a few more laughs. 'I'm going to go to bed.'

'Fair enough,' I said as I drank a little from my small glass of wine. 'I think I'll do the same later.'

'Goodnight brother,' said Markus.

'See you in the morning.'

AN: Hi guys. I know this is a little early but I have a reason. I've got mock exams this week so I'll have no time to write and I don't know when I'll be back. Keep an eye out though.

Also, there's a technical problem with this site which stops reviews showing up. I'll still be able to see them in my emails though.

Review Responses:

KiyaNamiel: I hope this means you won't have to murder Markus.

ATP: Handguns would also explode if the powder wasn't measured correctly. They could put too much in. This was such a problem that the Royal Navy did this to test the strength of guns. They'd load it with five times the amount of powder and fire it. If the gun didn't blow up it was good for service. That or someone just got their hand blown off.

Suna Chunin: Yep, wedding bells.