Title: Hero in Distress!

Summary: Eowyn tells her children a fanciful of heroine-ism.

Prompt: 53 "True Bride"

Word count: 444


'…And on the 4th day, the wicked Queen Berúthiel finally let the bride inside her castle labyrinth on the promise that she would make her a dress fit for a elven queen. When Berúthiel's back was turned, the bride opened the last walnut given to her by the Lord of the Eagles, and pulled from it a long white dress made of mithril and silk. "How lovely!" The queen cried in surprise, never questioning how the dress came to be. Snatching it from her grasp, Berúthiel hurried into her dressing room. Alone, the bride wandered the maze-like castle, guided by the moth, also gifted to her by eagle lord, until they reached the queen's bedroom.

It was there that she found her prince, no bigger then the palm of her hand, trapped in a lantern hanging above the bed. "Beloved prince!" She cried. The prince stood from his crouched position and smiled with relief. "True bride!" He responded, pressing his palms against the cool glass. "The evil queen has trapped me, please help!" The bride climbed onto the bed, puzzled by the predicament of her prince. "Oh, what can I do!" She cried.

Just then the moth appeared in front of her, bearing keys. "Thank you, dear friend!" The bride slipped the key inside the keyhole and turned. Suddenly the prince began to glow bright green and in a flash of light, outgrew his prison. The prince and the bride fell onto the bed among the glass shards in a tangle of limbs. The bride hugged her disoriented prince and together they fled the castle, guided by the moth. When Berúthiel's gift vanished and she realized she'd been betrayed, she gave chase and perused them into the woods. But she was too late. The prince and his bride reached the Lord of Eagles who spirited them away back to the kingdom of Númenor. Berúthiel was left alone on her desolate little island of black cats and was never heard from again….'

Eowyn closed the frayed book to a chorus of cheers, she sat surrounded by her children, Miriel, Léod and Firiel, who sat huddled together under her fur cloak. "That was wonderfully told, mummy," Miriel declared happily. "But what happened to the bride her and prince?" Léod and Firiel nodded in agreement, also curious to know what happened. Eowyn smiled secretly. "I suspect they lived quite contentedly with each other until the end of their days," She said. "Don't you think, Boromir?"

Boromir looked up from the map he was reading with a smile. "Aye, I think so," He said.