The hall was in shock at the elf's words again. I was enraged, so I spoke first before anyone else.
"Excuse me," I say with my voice like ice. "I have never thrown myself at any man or elf and how dare you accuse me of such. First, you accuse me of being a witch and now you are accusing me of sleeping with Voronwë. I am insulted and fed up with the baseless accusations. I have been ripped from my world and thrust into this one. Voronwë was the first person to help me in this world and offered to take me to a safe place. He has shown me great kindness and you will not disrespect him in my presence."
The dark-haired elf made to speak, but I interrupted him. "I'm not finished. I have met the great Lord Ulmo and I begged him to send me back to my world. He couldn't and I had to say goodbye to my family forever. I will never see them again or speak to them again. I will never hug them or tell them how much I love them. They will spend the rest of their lives wondering what happened to me. They will search for me, but they will never find me. They will always wonder and will never be given closure to move on. That very idea makes my heart stop. I have lost what is most dear to me and have been dropped into this world."
"I have taken everything that has happened to me in these last few weeks. I have struggled, made friends, ran for my life, laughed, and cried. I have worked hard to put it behind me and look forward to the future because that is all I can do. I have traveled a great distance and risked my life to come to this city with Tuor and Voronwë, so you would be able to hear Lord Ulmo's message."
"Now, you stand before me accusing me of being a witch and a whore. You are debating whether or not to kill me for existing. I will not stay in this city if this is to be my fate. I have not lost everything that I love, just to be slaughtered by elves who have no idea what it's like to be in my place. I would rather take my chances on the open roads than die here by your hands. If you won't permit me to stay then I request the opportunity to leave. Perhaps then I can find Lord Ulmo again and beg him to help me find a way back to my home and my family."
Once again the room is silent. The blonde she-elf standing by the king is in tears. I look at Voronwë and he has a few tears in his eyes. I glance over to Tuor and see his face has a frown and he is looking at me with sadness. I look back at the dark-haired elf and he is seething. I don't think anyone has ever spoken to him like that, but I don't care. He's a fucking prick and I don't care if he is a high lord of this city.
I look back to the king and wait for him to speak. His face is unreadable and I'm not sure how I feel about that. I laid out my feelings and my frustrations but it might not matter.
"I apologize for my nephew's words. He did not mean to insult you or your character. We must decide what to do with you all. Please leave the hall while we discuss it."
I nod and turn to leave the tower. Tuor and Voronwë follow after. Once we are back in the courtyard, the guards close the doors behind us. I exhale the breath that I didn't even know I was holding. However, I am caught off guard by Voronwë enveloping me with a hug.
His embrace is warm and comforting and before I know it, I'm sobbing uncontrollably into his tunic. The day's events have finally reached their limit. He hugs me tight as I cry and whispers into my ear "that was a very brave thing you did. Nobody ever speaks to the king's nephew Maeglin like that. He was out of line calling you all those things and speaking of both of us in that manner. I promise you that I won't let them kill you. I would go against my king if it meant keeping you safe. They will have to fight me to get to you. I promise I will take you to Cirdan or anywhere else you would want to go. I have been blessed to have met you and I am grateful to call you a friend."
I nod and hug him tighter, as I whisper to him "I don't want to die. I'm so young and I have so many things I want to do. Fall in love, get married, have children, and grow old. I want to see this city and spend time with my friends. If they vote to kill me and won't let me leave, I'm going to fight. Even if I don't make it very far. I honestly don't want to hurt anybody, but I just want to live."
"I will fight with you if it comes to that. I am not scared of dying as I will see my mother and father again. I will kill anyone that tries to harm you even if that labels me a kinslayer. My heart tells me Lord Ulmo will forgive me and probably the other Valar," he tells me.
I dry my tears and pull away from him. Tuor is standing next to us, awkwardly watching. I walk over and hug him. He envelops me in a great big bear hug and says "if this is to be our end, then I am grateful for the life I had. I have made many enemies but even greater friends. I would rather die fighting trying to protect you. I will not let them kill an innocent person while I still draw breath. Elf or not."
"I am also very sorry for your family. I did not realize you coming to this world would also make your family suffer. To not know what happened to you and to spend years searching. That is a terrible fate to burden loved ones with."
I nod and pull back from him. The three of us walk over to the trees and sit down on the ground together. I am mentally praying to the lord Ulmo and this Eru Ilúvatar that they let us leave or they let us stay. I have an idea though and I ask them "could we just leave, like now?" Will they notice if we leave while they are talking?"
Tuor's face brightens and we both look at Voronwë. He shakes his head sadly and says "we wouldn't get very far. All of the exits around the city are heavily guarded. The king has falcons that carry messages. They would let the guards know before we reached the gates. We are unarmed to fight them. The only other passes out of the city are the mountain passes, but we don't have any food left. We would starve before we got across the mountains. The enemy also has many servants that encircle the mountain tops."
My face drops as he takes my hand. We sit in silence, each of us lost in our own thoughts. The sky starts to darken as night begins to fall. We sit outside the tower for about an hour or so before the guards come to tell us that they have made a decision.
We walk back towards the tower. The guards escort us in and I look around at some of the lords. Their faces hold no emotions, but when I look over to Ecthelion and Glorfindel, they both give me small smiles. Hopefully, that means they won't kill me at least.
Once we are in the center, Voronwë takes my hand and we wait for the king to speak.
"We have decided that you will be allowed to stay. I accept that you were sent by Lord Ulmo, but we will not leave this city. We will shut the gates and no one will be permitted to leave or enter. This city has stood for centuries and we will remain strong. We are well protected here and hidden. The roads to the mouths of Sirion are covered with orcs and goblins. I will not risk my people across the open plains. As such you will not be permitted to leave this city at any time."
He paused and I let out a sigh. Tuor looked quite sad though. Lord Ulmo bid him to be the messenger and he had hoped they would listen. I know he also had hoped that he would be able to go back to the sea.
The king continued "I have a hard time believing lady Kiera's tale, but I will not go against Lord Ulmo or Eru Ilúvatar's wishes. I will not kill an innocent woman however strange the tale may be."
"However, you will be confined to the city. Should you wish to leave the city walls and go out into the grasslands surrounding the city, you must have an escort. If you are a servant to the enemy, I cannot take the risk of letting you leave the city to pass information. Many spies roam the mountain tops. If you disobey this order, we will kill you. If you accept these conditions, I will welcome you into the city."
While it seemed unfair, I was just grateful they didn't kill me. "I understand and accept your majesty, " I answered.
He nodded and addressed all of us "You will be given housing in my house. My nephew prince Maeglin has agreed to pay for your expenses in an apology for his harsh words and accusations. Anything you need will be provided to you within reason."
After looking over at Maeglin and seeing his cold, hard stare, I knew it wasn't his idea. He was seething at the king's words and I bet this was a form of punishment for him. He deserves it, the judgemental prick.
"It has been decided, my daughter Idril will lead you to your new chambers. You may bathe and will be given new clothes. You will join me at my table for dinner so we can introduce you to all the lords."
Tuor and Voronwë bow and I follow suit. The she-elf Idril walks towards us and begins to lead us to the palace. She leads us through a side door and down a long hallway. She talks as we walk "I apologize to lady Kiera for my cousin's harsh words and to you Voronwë. Though he means well, sometimes he doesn't think before he speaks." I snort at that and she smirks at me in response.
"The king has arranged rooms for you all in the guest quarters of the palace. While you are staying here, you are considered the king's honored guests. Maeglin will be paying the king for your expenses, please let us know what you need and we can get it for you. I will lead you to your chambers and bring you fresh clothing."
"After your baths, I will escort you to the king's dining hall where we will have dinner together. I am most interested in getting to know you both. I have not met many humans and I have never met a mortal woman before."
She smiled back at us all and I think Tuor fell in love right there. I snuck a glance at Voronwë and he gave me a conspiracy wink. Idril led us around the palace and down long hallways. I let my eye wander from the high ceilings in the chambers to the beautiful tapestries on the walls.
We came to a short hallway with doors on each side. There was another elf waiting by one of the doors and she had a bundle of clothes in her hands.
"This is one of my handmaidens, Narriel, she will be helping you during your stay lady Kiera. This will be your room while you are here," she said as she pointed to the door.
She looked to Tuor and said "your chambers are at the end of the hall. The last room is on the right. We have laid out some clothing for you to change."
She looked at Voronwë and said "we did not know if you would stay with your companions or stay with your uncle in the city. A room has been prepared for you across from lord Tuor.
He replied, "I will stay with my companions until they become accustomed to the city."
"I will wait for everyone at the end of the hall. Please take your time and do not rush. The night is still young yet," Idril said.
She walked back down the hall and the boys turned towards their rooms. I walked to my room and followed behind Narriel.
Once inside, I noticed it was just as breathtaking as the rest at the palace. A large canopy bed was in the middle. In the corner on one side was a fireplace with chairs around it. In the other corner were a vanity and mirror.
Behind the bed were two large windows on each side. Long and tall, that let in
a lot of light, with large white curtains hanging by the sides. On the other side of the room were two doors. One was open and I could see a wooden table with a stone basin. It must be a bathroom. The other door was closed and next to it was a wooden dresser.
Narriel must have seen me looking and said "that is a room to hang up dresses and put away clothes." Closet. Got it. All and all the room was very nice.
I stuck out my hand to introduce myself. "Hello, I'm Kiera Sutherland. It's nice to meet you."
"I am glad to have met you as well. I am Narriel and I will be your handmaiden while you are here. I have brought some clothes that might fit and I have drawn a bath for you. Come and bathe while the water is still hot."
She led me to the bathroom and I saw a large clawfoot tub filled with water. On top of the tub wall were glass jars. Past the wooden table was a wooden toilet. There was a small side table that held leaves in a basket and some towels.
Narriel sets the clothes on the table and starts to help me undress but I stop her. "I can undress myself and wash myself. Just let me know which soaps are for what and I can bathe."
She nods at me and steps back towards the tub. She points out a few jars for washing my body and one for my hair. "I will need your help with the clothes though. I will call you when I'm done washing."
"Certainly my lady." She leaves the bathroom and closes the door. I can't wait for a warm bath and quickly slip off my clothes and sink into the water. The bath is heavenly, and for the first few moments, I just sit and relax in the water.
Once I am refreshed I reach for the glass bottles on the side of the tub. I scrub myself with the rose-scented soap. I take time to lather up and sink into the tub. I wash my hair the same and relax as the soap sets in. My hair feels softer and smoother than ever, but that could be because this is the first proper bath in a while.
All fresh and clean, I climb out of the tub and reach for a towel to dry. I dry off my body and wrap the towel around my body. I crack the door open calling for Narriel. She comes in and starts to talk to me with a happy smile on her face.
"I have never dressed a human woman before. I saw you arrive and once Idril bid me to pick out some clothes for you, I found some that I think will compliment you. The princess gave me some of her old clothes when she was younger. You are shorter in height than she is and not as thin. I have picked out a few dresses made with corsets and some with flowy material that should fit. You are quite beautiful for a mortal, and I have never seen hair or eyes like yours."
I wasn't sure I was supposed to be offended or not, but I just said "thanks."
Narriel brought out the first dress which was a dark purple corset one. The sleeves were long and puffy. The neckline was heavily beaded and the skirt was layered. I dropped my towel and stepped into the dress.
The boob area had padding and even as Narriel undid the laces the dress was uncomfortably tight. I figured that I probably wouldn't fit in the elvish dresses. Even my B cups were popping out of this dress.
"No matter, I have brought more for this reason." The second dress she pulled out was a flowy blue and silver dress with short sleeves. The top was fitted and flowed at the bottom. I hoped this one would fit, as it was beautiful. She slid the dress over me and the material stretched across my body. Once it was on over my shoulders and the bunches pulled out, it fit snuggly.
"Beautiful," I say. "This dress is stunning and it fits me well."
"It looks very good on you. It complements your eyes. I have slippers for you as well. Come, let us go to the vanity and I will brush out your hair."
She handed me some soft slippers and I put them on. The dress was long enough that it slid across the floor and hid my slippers. I hoped I wouldn't trip on the extra material.
I followed Narriel out of the bathroom and over to the vanity. There were a few brushes and some small jewelry in a box. I sat down on the stool as Narriel toweled and brushed my hair.
"Princess Idril also sent some of her old jewelry for you to have. Is there anything you wish to wear tonight?"
I looked over at the jewelry in the box. All of it was beautifully crafted and way too fancy for me. I found a simple vine and leaf bracelet to wear. It was made from silver and matched the silver in the dress.
"A wise choice my lady. Your hair is almost dry. I can braid it for you, but you have such lovely hair. I think you should wear it down freely tonight."
I agree with her and she drapes my hair over my shoulders. It comes down to my chest area and falls in soft waves from the toweling.
I take a good look at myself in the mirror and I hardly recognize myself. I usually never get this dressed up at home. My go-to outfit was either jeans and blouses or leggings and shirts. I feel a bit like a Disney princess, going to a ball. Which I kind of was.
Narriel speaks one last time before she leaves "I left you a nightgown on your bed. I will wash your clothes while you are gone. I will bring them back tomorrow morning when I come. Someone will bring your belongings while you are gone, now that you have a room to stay in."
I forgot about my pack in the chaos of the day. We left everything at the city gates earlier. Narriel bid me goodnight and left the room. I took one long breath preparing myself for the upcoming dinner and left my room.