My Lady." curtsied the stable girl. Eowyn glanced at her.
"Prepare my horse." she said imperiously, but not unkindly.
"Yes, Lady." replied the stable girl coldly. She did not like the Lady Eowyn. There had been unpleasantness in their pasts. She turned to the lady's horse, but at that moment Eowyn gasped and started, looking into the shadows near the doorway. "My Lady..." came an oily voice from the darkness, and Lord Grima stepped into the stable proper. The stable girl greeted him with a curtsy, but he did not even look at her. She busied herself with the Lady's horse. After the proper manner of servants, the stable girl did not make effort to eavesdrop, but still the conversation behind her fell clear upon her ears.
"Good evening." said Grima. Eowyn said nothing. "It is a fine evening for a ride, though the lands have become somewhat dangerous after dark. If my Lady intends to ride, perhaps an escort should be arranged? After all, we cannot have the niece of the King coming to harm..." He took a step closer to Eowyn, and she drew herself up to her full height and raised her chin. "I can defend myself well enough, Wormtongue." she said acidly. The stable girl's hands tightened on the stirrup she was shortening. Grima was directly behind her. The skirts of his robes made small sounds on the straw strewn floor.
"And if by escort you mean yourself, I would sooner go alone than ride anywhere with such a snake!" continued Eowyn, and the stable girl realised that she was trembling, for all her haughty tone.
The stable girl's nostrils went white and she felt sick at the Lady's rudeness. The Lord Grima was merely concerned for her safety, and all the great White Lady of Rohan could answer was in common insults used by the kitchen boys! She stood up slowly. "My Lady's horse is ready." she said quietly and respectfully, and resumed her earlier task of sweeping the stable floor. Eowyn swept round, mounted and turned her horse. Grima looked up at her, his face blank. She sneered at him and spurred her horse out of the door. Grima looked away, his face still empty, and though he was a stranger to her in most respects the stable girl knew that expression. It was the mask which those who are used to pain employ to hide it.
With a jolt the stable girl realised she was staring and quickly began to sweep once more. She bent over her task for a minute or so, and, hearing no footsteps, began to feel uneasy. Why had the Lord Grima not left yet? Perhaps he meant to take out his disappointment on her; she had seen it many times, Lords and Ladies who wreaked their foul tempers on the servants. She cowered fearfully as she swept, but when no cutting voice or felling blow was forthcoming she ventured to look up. He was still standing with the same attitude as before, save that he was now watching her with intent.
She blushed a little and looked down at the floor. Then he spoke. "What are your thoughts, stable maiden?" he asked quietly and intensely. The stable girl tried to keep her tone light as she replied. "My thoughts, Lord? Only of the efficient running of my stables and the proper service of my Lords and masters." She stood awkwardly holding her broom, not knowing whether he had finished, aware that she could not go back to her work until he had. After what felt like an age he spoke again. "Then serve this Lord." he came closer. "Tell me, stable maiden, does this manner of speaking...affect you in any way?" The stable girl was puzzled.
"Manner of speaking, lord?" she asked, and then gasped as he spoke again, for his voice seemed quite changed. "When I speak to you thus, how do you feel?" he asked in a golden voice, a voice full of purity and yet awash with seduction and desire. She found she could not answer, and for a moment she merely looked at him with an open mouth and wide eyes. She took a deep breath, and at that moment he stepped away from her. She blinked, the spell was broken. She blushed and looked to her feet, cursing her seemingly continuously red face in his presence. His back was to her.
"How did you feel?" he asked in his tense, low voice.
"I felt...brain-addled, Lord." said the stable girl, for she felt that nothing she could say now would embarrass her more. "I...do not know how I felt..."
"'This power I will give you' he says, 'and she shall be yours.'" Grima interrupted her. "But why then, does it have little or no effect upon her, but all and every effect upon a common stablehand? "The stable girl did not know what to say, but he sounded angry and seemed to expect an answer, and so she replied.
"I know not of 'him' nor of his promises," She spoke quickly, afraid of her own daring in speaking so to a man who held her position as stable mistress, her life even, in his hands. "But I think that my Lord is wasting his time on the Lady Eowyn. She is haughty and heart-proud, she believes none are worthy of her precious self..." she broke off, as Grima began to walk towards the stable doors. He stood there for a while, staring at the sky. His back was to her, and so she could not see his expression. "My Lord?" she said hesitantly. He started, but never took his eyes off the stars.
"Go back to you duties, stable maiden." He left, turning at the door and vanishing from her sight.
"Prepare my horse." she said imperiously, but not unkindly.
"Yes, Lady." replied the stable girl coldly. She did not like the Lady Eowyn. There had been unpleasantness in their pasts. She turned to the lady's horse, but at that moment Eowyn gasped and started, looking into the shadows near the doorway. "My Lady..." came an oily voice from the darkness, and Lord Grima stepped into the stable proper. The stable girl greeted him with a curtsy, but he did not even look at her. She busied herself with the Lady's horse. After the proper manner of servants, the stable girl did not make effort to eavesdrop, but still the conversation behind her fell clear upon her ears.
"Good evening." said Grima. Eowyn said nothing. "It is a fine evening for a ride, though the lands have become somewhat dangerous after dark. If my Lady intends to ride, perhaps an escort should be arranged? After all, we cannot have the niece of the King coming to harm..." He took a step closer to Eowyn, and she drew herself up to her full height and raised her chin. "I can defend myself well enough, Wormtongue." she said acidly. The stable girl's hands tightened on the stirrup she was shortening. Grima was directly behind her. The skirts of his robes made small sounds on the straw strewn floor.
"And if by escort you mean yourself, I would sooner go alone than ride anywhere with such a snake!" continued Eowyn, and the stable girl realised that she was trembling, for all her haughty tone.
The stable girl's nostrils went white and she felt sick at the Lady's rudeness. The Lord Grima was merely concerned for her safety, and all the great White Lady of Rohan could answer was in common insults used by the kitchen boys! She stood up slowly. "My Lady's horse is ready." she said quietly and respectfully, and resumed her earlier task of sweeping the stable floor. Eowyn swept round, mounted and turned her horse. Grima looked up at her, his face blank. She sneered at him and spurred her horse out of the door. Grima looked away, his face still empty, and though he was a stranger to her in most respects the stable girl knew that expression. It was the mask which those who are used to pain employ to hide it.
With a jolt the stable girl realised she was staring and quickly began to sweep once more. She bent over her task for a minute or so, and, hearing no footsteps, began to feel uneasy. Why had the Lord Grima not left yet? Perhaps he meant to take out his disappointment on her; she had seen it many times, Lords and Ladies who wreaked their foul tempers on the servants. She cowered fearfully as she swept, but when no cutting voice or felling blow was forthcoming she ventured to look up. He was still standing with the same attitude as before, save that he was now watching her with intent.
She blushed a little and looked down at the floor. Then he spoke. "What are your thoughts, stable maiden?" he asked quietly and intensely. The stable girl tried to keep her tone light as she replied. "My thoughts, Lord? Only of the efficient running of my stables and the proper service of my Lords and masters." She stood awkwardly holding her broom, not knowing whether he had finished, aware that she could not go back to her work until he had. After what felt like an age he spoke again. "Then serve this Lord." he came closer. "Tell me, stable maiden, does this manner of speaking...affect you in any way?" The stable girl was puzzled.
"Manner of speaking, lord?" she asked, and then gasped as he spoke again, for his voice seemed quite changed. "When I speak to you thus, how do you feel?" he asked in a golden voice, a voice full of purity and yet awash with seduction and desire. She found she could not answer, and for a moment she merely looked at him with an open mouth and wide eyes. She took a deep breath, and at that moment he stepped away from her. She blinked, the spell was broken. She blushed and looked to her feet, cursing her seemingly continuously red face in his presence. His back was to her.
"How did you feel?" he asked in his tense, low voice.
"I felt...brain-addled, Lord." said the stable girl, for she felt that nothing she could say now would embarrass her more. "I...do not know how I felt..."
"'This power I will give you' he says, 'and she shall be yours.'" Grima interrupted her. "But why then, does it have little or no effect upon her, but all and every effect upon a common stablehand? "The stable girl did not know what to say, but he sounded angry and seemed to expect an answer, and so she replied.
"I know not of 'him' nor of his promises," She spoke quickly, afraid of her own daring in speaking so to a man who held her position as stable mistress, her life even, in his hands. "But I think that my Lord is wasting his time on the Lady Eowyn. She is haughty and heart-proud, she believes none are worthy of her precious self..." she broke off, as Grima began to walk towards the stable doors. He stood there for a while, staring at the sky. His back was to her, and so she could not see his expression. "My Lord?" she said hesitantly. He started, but never took his eyes off the stars.
"Go back to you duties, stable maiden." He left, turning at the door and vanishing from her sight.