AN: Hello, everyone!
This is the first fic I publish here, so I would be more than happy to receive your reviews. (Especially on grammar and spelling, because I'm not a native speaker, and even though I sort of did my best, I'm sure it's not perfect at all. Well, trying is the only way you can improve, right?)
As for the story, I don't own anything it's all J.R.R. Tolkien's.
It would be so great if you told me your thoughts on the story and the upcoming characters, because each and every character I'll be presenting was inspired by a very special friend or acquaintance or family member of mine, or a fictional character who also has a special place in my heart. And here I have to mention that whatever tiny fracture that is not Tolkien's in this story is definitely George R.R. Martin's (usually words or objects, it's not a crossover story), because I love ASOIAF and it was a wonderful inspiration.
Thank you so much for reading in advance, I hope you will like it!
I'm bored. Which is funny, because I should be studying. No, actually it's not funny, because studying and the obligation to study is what generally makes me bored. Never mind. Just saying, so you'll know, why I update like a maniac :)
TWELVE DAYS LATER
"Oh my goodness! Don't you two have honor?!" Sybille exclaimed once she finally understood what Lord Faramir was discussing with Elboron and Eldarion for a good long hour.
"Don't we have honor?" Elboron stared at her half laughing while Eldarion was choking on his chuckles.
"She was the one who came to our beds and didn't even need much convincing, I assure you" Eldarion explained.
"Anyway, what do you expect? Her elder sister was bedded by half the court when she came to visit too. Only we were too young to take part." Elboron grinned at Eldarion.
"Yes! Boy, what a shame! The Forlan brothers started it and then at least five others had that girl…" he mused remembering.
"No, Barahin had her first. Florian told us, remember?" Elboron corrected him "Then Torundir, then the Forlan brothers, then old Theobald and Deoron… and… was that all?"
"I don't know… I guess that was all, but Greasy Garawin? Did he get her too?"
"What of Prince Imrahil?" Gilraen interjected tactfully.
"What of him? Oh, he doesn't know. Darling Sirallien won't tell such things to daddy. She never told him of her first, second, third and fourth and fifth and sixth man either. Why would she tell of the seventh and eigth?" Eldarion gave a nudge to Elboron and they shook with laughter again.
"So how did Lord Faramir learn?" Sybille blinked.
"Faramir caught Elboron with her." Eldarion choked.
"Yes, it was always your brother, the clever one. Prince Eldarion shagged the little bird in some minor council hall which is obviously the last place where people would look for him."
"Does our father know?" asked Gilraen with a twinkle.
"No! Are you mad?" her brother lost his taste for laughter in a second. "He'd skin me for it. If you dare tell him, Gilraen, I swear you'll rue it! Be a bad girl for this one time and don't run to daddy telling on me!"
Gilraen stared at him. "I have never run to him to tell on you." She informed her brother flatly. "Well, I'd better go. Enjoy the feast!" she said hiding her hurt and rage at the accusation under the light courteous tone.
There was no further comment on the affair, Lord Faramir was keeping to his promise and covering for Eldarion and Elboron it seemed. The rest of the visit was eventless, feasts and hunts went on, the king and the steward rode out with Prince Imrahil and a number of high lords. On lighter afternoons some ladies accompanied them as well, Lady Éowyn and the queen herself among them. Gilraen guessed Torundir rode out once or twice too, though she only saw the man on the welcoming feast and once talking with Lord Beregond on the sixth level. The last time they met was before Torundir went on his family business and since even her lessons with him had been called off, she scarcely saw him. Gilraen found herself missing the man more and more with every passing day in parallel with getting more and more tired of the court and the endless feasts and royal duties.
On the last day of Prince Imrahil's visit Gilraen, her sisters and mother shared a tea with the prince's wife and daughter. Without Elboron or Eldarion around the event went rather flawlessly, and without any male companions around, Imrahil's daughter seemed as innocent as a lamb. Gilraen wondered how that was possible but then she thought of herself and realized with a hint of shame it was not such a great wonder after all. She dismissed the thoughts with an uncomfortable blush and resumed counting down the hours till the departure of the Prince and his family. In the evening she received a letter from Torundir saying, or rather commanding, that she was to go straight to his house as soon and fast as possible once the king and queen and prince left the city and her sisters weren't looking.
It was past 11 o'clock by the time Gilraen could make her way down to the fifth level. She crossed the narrow ally-way snaking between two great manses and shutting the rusty hind gate behind her proceeded along the dark ivy covered arcade. The place made her feel like entering a haunted castle. The back door opened the moment she reached it never leaving a chance to knock. Torundir grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into a deep kiss. Gilraen felt the ground slipping away from under her as he swept her off her feet wantonly to spin her around.
"It's been too long, sweetest" he grinned when he finally let go of her mouth.
"Good day to you too, my lord" she laughed and tugged at his arm so he'd put her down. Instead he slid an arm under her knees and started up the stairs with her.
"I missed you so much, my sweet" he murmured into her ears huskily and Gilraen couldn't help but entwine her arms around his neck and start kissing him.
"I missed you too" she breathed "Missed you so"
Two hours later Gilraen was lying naked on her belly on Torundir's great teakwood bed, her legs dangling in mid air and listening to the man's monologue while he rested his head on her buttocks.
"…but these are empty courtesies proving neither innocence nor guilt. So no, I don't think Harad should be trusted…Your heels are putting out my eyes." He finished pushing away her ankle playfully.
"I'm sorry" she chuckled. "If you just got up from me, your eyes would be safe."
"I'm not getting up, you are very comfortable." He said and reached up to pinch softly at the flesh of her waist.
"So what will be made of the Harad question?" Gilraen asked. She hated when he didn't finish a story and she loved listening as he spoke.
"Nothing. As usually. Some urge the king to round on Harad and smash them, but we know too little of their numbers and forces. Some say all is fine and trust the peace pact blindly. And the king says as long as there's no open cause for war it's better to support peace and keep our eyes open and wary."
"And what do you say?"
"That Harad will not be cowed with peace pacts. They already have great lands that once belonged to Gondor and it's only a matter of time before they decide they want a slice of the cake again. Until such time though, we'd be fools to provoke them. However, the clearest and only way out of the situation would doubtless be smashing Harad." Torundir mused his fingers tracing her waist up and down. "I'm hungry, let's go and eat something" he decided and sat up to find his breeches.
Gilraen pulled on her silken shift too and climbed out of bed to follow Torundir down into his kitchens. The place was not near as large as the royal kitchens in the palace, but the build of it had a certain resemblance to their kitchens. Most probably because all kitchens were built in the same fashion. A pot of stew was hanging over one guttering fireplace and Torundir walked up to it to help himself a portion. "Aren't you hungry?" he asked.
"What sort of stew is that?" Gilraen sniffed at the pot suspiciously.
"Rabbit." He saw her grimace at once. "Why?"
"Rabbit is the only thing I don't eat."
"Why?" he raised an eyebrow and sat down to a table with his bowl.
"When I was little I really wanted a pet and Gimli brought me a black bunny for my birthday" she explained walking around the kitchen and placing a flagon and a cup on the table. "And by some wonder my mother allowed me to keep it in a hutch in the garden. She was pregnant with Brianneth at that time, might have been just the moodswings that she allowed it." Gilraen filled the cup with rich smelling red and pushed it within the man's reach as Torundir chuckled at the comment. "But Eldarion hated the bunny and poked it with sticks every time he played in the garden. And one day the bunny had enough and bit his hand. That night they served it for dinner. And since then I don't eat rabbit."
Torundir gave a throaty chortle "That's an edifying story. I'll remember never to cross your brother. But eat something, my sweet, whatever you find."
She nodded and departed for another round in the kitchen.
"Gilraen!" Torundir called after her with a grin. "I'll get you another bunny if you'd like"
She rolled her eyes at him smiling. She adored him so. Every time he japed with her, or smiled at her, or teased her or kissed her warmth washed over her body and all she wanted was to sit around for the rest of her life listening to his jokes, stories, feeling his arms around her. Gilraen moved along the kitchen walls and tables sprinkling or pouring things into her bowl, stirring it, hanging it over the steam of the stew.
"What the hell is that?" Torundir stared at her as though she had a fresh flayed rat on her plate just out of a corner when she sat down opposite him with two small bowls.
"Pudding?" she blinked puzzled.
"You can cook?" he asked eyes wide with astonishment.
"This is not cooking. Just pudding. What you put into cakes."
"I never thought you could cook. Heavens fuck me, can the queen cook too?"
"I don't think so. But this is not cooking either."
"Can you cook other things too?" he didn't seem to pay any mind to the part that pudding was not cooking. At all.
"This is not cooking." Gilraen repeated with a small smile. "Well, I never tried, but I watched our cooks making pies and cakes some times. Until my mother found out and forbade me to go to the kitchens and set back work. So theoretically I should be able to make apple pie or gingerbread…" she mused. "Though that's not cooking either, but baking"
"I'm positively amazed. I always knew you were not something one finds behind every second door, but you keep surprising me." He shook his head and took one jar to taste the cocoa colored dollop. "And it's even good."
"I'm glad it's good" Gilraen laughed and refilled his winecup.
"Thank you, sweetheart" he gave her a knee weakening smile and taking her hand he pulled her up and guided her into his lap. "And you never said anything about Prince Imrahil's visit week. How was it?"
"Boring. For me at least. My brother and Elboron found ways to entertain themselves and Prince Imrahil's daughter."
"Oh-ho. Takes after her elder sister, huh? Last time Imrahil was here with his other daughter, half the court laid that one too."
"Including yourself?" Gilraen grinned playfully.
"No, not me. I don't like redheads. She was too soft too. I don't like a chubby girl."
"Really, then Elboron got his counting wrong…" she chuckled.
"What?"
"He and Eldarion tried to list who laid this elder sister and in what order last time or so."
"Ah, see. No, I didn't lay her… And I haven't laid Merillen Balbar either, nor Erandur's wife, people gossip that too. That woman… bloody hell I'd not go near her even if someone paid for it."
"My mother's ladies in waiting gossip that you laid Lord Barahin's wife too." Gilraen grimaced with unmasked distaste in her voice. That was an incredibly evil gossip. Especially after she met Lady Ëlyel who was a lovely woman and unconditionally fond of her husband and daughter.
"Your mother's ladies in waiting gossip that Lady Éowyn laid the Witchking on the battlefield." Torundir snorted. "But better that than gossip about you and me." He added and nuzzled against her neck.
Gilraen turned around to face him and placed her hands on his chest reaching up to kiss him while he fondled her hips and waist. He stood up with her small body in his arms and carried her back upstairs into his bedchamber. She kissed his neck up and down as they ascended while he whispered into her ear all the things he was going to do with her once they reached the bed.
After he was done with everything he promised, and more, they lay in each other's arms in content tranquility. Torundir caressed her curves and played with her hair while she traced her fingers along his chest as they talked.
"You are so petite. How I never crush you beneath me, I always wondered" he observed amused.
"You are always careful not to crush me. And I'm not even so petite."
"Aye, you are. My thigh is thicker than this waist of yours." He gave her another soft pinch.
"How could that be?" Gilraen sat up and found her shift. "I'll measure it." She detached a silken string from the garment's breast line and twined it around her waist. Marking the size with her thumb and index finger she removed it and turned to the man half laughing. Torundir pushed himself on one elbow and pulled up his knee grinning and enjoying as she coiled the string around his thigh.
"That's not fair." Gilraen concluded the result and he burst out laughing.
"I told you were so petite, sweet baby, why not believe me?" he wrestled her down on the bed and captured her lips fondly.
"Oh, by the way, when will I have my next lesson?" she asked curling up against him.
"As soon as possible, my sweet." He gave a husky chuckle.
"I meant a normal lesson. You know, with riding out and archery and the rest. You recall we had such too?" She teased.
"Hmm… faintly, but I recall" he smirked. "Whenever you want. You'll have your exams soon, so whenever you'll have time."
"I'll have an exam from Hunting too"
"Aye" he spat out the word as though it was a curse. "Damn the bloody fools who made that up. You'll have questions like How do you know how far ahead is the game you're after."
"How do I know?"
"From the blood it leaves behind. If it's black and dry, you are lagging behind, if it's red and fluid, you are close." said Torundir.
"What if the red and fluid is the blood of some other game?" Gilraen frowned.
"That's why you have hounds and bitches with you, so they'll take up the right scent."
Gilraen nodded and pulled the blanket up to her chest sitting up. "What's the time?"
"There's still an hour, maybe more till the king and queen get back to the city" the man replied and sat up as well. "What shall we do until then?" he stood up and walked to the window letting some air in. "Do you play cards?"
"What sort of game?" Gilraen asked with a hint of mistrust in her voice. Her memories of Eldarion's card games were still to vivid to trust cards. Her brother and his company played different sort of games each and every one of them including losing clothing.
"Just the usual. Since neither of us is overdressed, there's no point in trickier sorts. And I'm really curious how you play cards." He grinned at her. "It tells of a lot of one's personality."
And so they played cards for a while before Gilraen finally took her leave to head back to the citadel before any family member would miss her.
And again, please let me know what you think in a review or a PM :) The next chapter is coming... tomorrow night? Because I haven't even added it to Doc Manager yet which means some edit time for me now... Anyway, it'll be Chapter 9 - At Home (that's the title currently, but I might just change it when I'm doing the revising)