* * Update at last!! Damn college, making me work…but here we go. As Manuel would say 'I own nothing…except Erin'. Err, right… * *
Six
The following morning, Erin was woken by loud crashes, bangs and a series of curses from outside her chamber window. Groggily, she wrapped the bed sheets around her and made her way to the window. In the street below, a hive of activity was erupting as the people of Gondor finished the preparations for the entry of the King.
"But it's not even sunrise," Erin exclaimed in surprise, beginning to bitterly regret the long hours spent with the Lords of the West the previous evening. "Am I to have no rest?"
It appeared that the answer was a resounding no, as Erin's waiting-women entered the room to dress her for the day's celebrations.
"Come on now, my lady, lets be moving," fussed her old nurse, Yarweth, as they began to gather round her. "Today's not a day for dallying, we must be ready for the King's entry just after Sunrise…why are you so tired?" the old woman asked sharply, noticing the pale features of her charge. "Lady Erin, were you gallivanting all night?"
"No Yarweth, I was not," Erin replied, trying to maintain her position and her dignity in the face of the elderly nurse's glare. "I merely had to report to the King on behalf of the Lord Faramir, that is all."
"Did you, indeed?" harrumphed Yarweth; but her eyes were bright as she began to hurry the younger maids.
"Did…did you really see the King, my lady?" one of the young girls asked with an excited squeak. "Is he as handsome as they say?"
Erin smiled, trying to cover her amusement.
"I did and he is," she confirmed, and several of the girls clutched each other and giggled.
"I have heard tell that ALL of the great Captains are very handsome," another said, and more giggling ensued.
"Now, now, come along," Yarweth ordered. "Lady Erin must be ready and at this rate we'll miss the ceremonies. You two, stop giggling and fetch the Lady Erin's gown. Quickly now."
As the two chastised girls went to get the dress, Erin turned to her nurse.
"They mean no harm, Yarweth," she said gently, and her nurse snorted.
"It seems they are not the only ones so transfixed," she said sternly. "Oh, I know very well why you went off to the camp last night, and why Lord Faramir sought to send you. You're as bad as when you were children, the pair of you."
Yarweth's expression softened, and she cupped Erin's face with her hands.
"You are a one, my lady, there's no doubt," she continued. "And now it seems I shall lose all my charges, for Boromir is gone, and Faramir to be married and you…"
"I am not leaving," Erin said hastily, and Yarweth smiled.
"Indeed," she declared. "For if the King of Rohan was to ask you away, I'm sure you'd stay!"
Erin blushed, and several of her maidservants giggled again, as they dressed her.
"He is very handsome," she murmured, and Yarweth nodded triumphantly.
"Oh, that he is," she replied knowingly, "and a brave one at that. I have heard of his deeds at Pelennor. He will be a great King of his people, I have no doubt; and will raise great Kings. And the blood of Gondor will run in his heir, you mark my words."
"Oh Yarweth," Erin exclaimed.
She was cut short by the sight of herself in the mirror. Her hair gleamed in the light of the rising sun, and the pale blue and silver gown she wore showed her beauty to perfection. She wore no ornament save for a pale blue gem about her neck, an heirloom of her mother's house. Yarweth smiled again to see her.
"The blood of Gondor, my child," she said softly. "For no true man born could look upon you unmoved this day."
Erin was about to reply, but before she could do so the bells rang out, calling one and all to the ruined Gates of the City to welcome their King. With one final backward glance in the mirror, Erin hurried to join her foster-brother.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Faramir smiled at his foster-sister as she hastened down the steps to join him at the Gateway, her eyes flashing with pride. She took her place between her foster-brother and Húrin, the Warden of the Keys, before the barrier across the entrance to the city; and there she was joined by the lady Eowyn and the knights of the Mark, and together the two women looked on the ceremonies that bound the people of Gondor to their new King.
As Faramir performed his duties as Steward, Erin tried to concentrate on the ceremonies. But every now and then, her glance strayed from Faramir, Aragorn and the rest to the tall King of Rohan. When at last the ceremony was over, however, and Aragorn began to enter the City, Erin found that she had tears in her eyes that she could not explain. Aragorn smiled at her as he passed; a knowing smile, and she took great hope and comfort from it as she turned to follow the retinue of people back into Minas Tirith.
"A great day lies before us," a voice said softly behind her, and Erin turned with a start. Eomer smiled at her. "May I walk with you, my lady Erin?" he asked her formally, and she smiled back at him.
"Of course, my lord," she replied, thinking that her heart beat so loud in her chest that all around her would hear! "Is your sister also escorted?"
Eomer grinned broadly.
"I believe your foster-brother has taken care of that," he remarked, and Erin covered her mouth with her hand to hide her smiles as the two passed them by.
"They look well together," she mused, thinking aloud as she sometimes did. "And this is a great day for Minas Tirith. It is strange; when the crown was set upon his head, I found myself looking at Lord Aragorn as if for the first time. It moved me to see him so."
"I, too, looked on him anew," Eomer murmured. "I foresee great things for Gondor now that Aragorn is King."
Erin looked at him.
"And what of Rohan?" she asked softly. "Are great things to spring from the fair land of our allies also?"
"I wish I had that foresight," Eomer told her, and he looked so troubled that Erin was moved. She reached out her hand and, to her eternal amazement (as she was to later relate); found that she unconsciously took his hand in hers.
"I do not think the people of Rohan need worry," she said timorously. "You will be a great king, Eomer; for your people love you, that I can tell, and that in itself is a measure of a man. Gondor and Rohan will stand side by side in the days to come, and fair words shall replace foul deeds and all that is great and good in this world shall come to be. Rohan shall be blessed as Gondor is, and I shall rejoice in that."
Eomer stopped and studied her face.
"You know this?" he asked, amazed, and Erin nodded.
"I have seen how your men follow you," she replied. "They would follow you to the ends of the earth. And they are not alone," she added, unconsciously speaking her thoughts aloud.
Eomer said nothing in reply, but continued walking with her into the Great Hall. Many of the people present, however, noticed that they still held the others hand as they continued on their way, and Yarweth smiled a secret smile to herself.
"A great line of kings of Rohan," she murmured, "and the blood of Gondor in their veins…"
Six
The following morning, Erin was woken by loud crashes, bangs and a series of curses from outside her chamber window. Groggily, she wrapped the bed sheets around her and made her way to the window. In the street below, a hive of activity was erupting as the people of Gondor finished the preparations for the entry of the King.
"But it's not even sunrise," Erin exclaimed in surprise, beginning to bitterly regret the long hours spent with the Lords of the West the previous evening. "Am I to have no rest?"
It appeared that the answer was a resounding no, as Erin's waiting-women entered the room to dress her for the day's celebrations.
"Come on now, my lady, lets be moving," fussed her old nurse, Yarweth, as they began to gather round her. "Today's not a day for dallying, we must be ready for the King's entry just after Sunrise…why are you so tired?" the old woman asked sharply, noticing the pale features of her charge. "Lady Erin, were you gallivanting all night?"
"No Yarweth, I was not," Erin replied, trying to maintain her position and her dignity in the face of the elderly nurse's glare. "I merely had to report to the King on behalf of the Lord Faramir, that is all."
"Did you, indeed?" harrumphed Yarweth; but her eyes were bright as she began to hurry the younger maids.
"Did…did you really see the King, my lady?" one of the young girls asked with an excited squeak. "Is he as handsome as they say?"
Erin smiled, trying to cover her amusement.
"I did and he is," she confirmed, and several of the girls clutched each other and giggled.
"I have heard tell that ALL of the great Captains are very handsome," another said, and more giggling ensued.
"Now, now, come along," Yarweth ordered. "Lady Erin must be ready and at this rate we'll miss the ceremonies. You two, stop giggling and fetch the Lady Erin's gown. Quickly now."
As the two chastised girls went to get the dress, Erin turned to her nurse.
"They mean no harm, Yarweth," she said gently, and her nurse snorted.
"It seems they are not the only ones so transfixed," she said sternly. "Oh, I know very well why you went off to the camp last night, and why Lord Faramir sought to send you. You're as bad as when you were children, the pair of you."
Yarweth's expression softened, and she cupped Erin's face with her hands.
"You are a one, my lady, there's no doubt," she continued. "And now it seems I shall lose all my charges, for Boromir is gone, and Faramir to be married and you…"
"I am not leaving," Erin said hastily, and Yarweth smiled.
"Indeed," she declared. "For if the King of Rohan was to ask you away, I'm sure you'd stay!"
Erin blushed, and several of her maidservants giggled again, as they dressed her.
"He is very handsome," she murmured, and Yarweth nodded triumphantly.
"Oh, that he is," she replied knowingly, "and a brave one at that. I have heard of his deeds at Pelennor. He will be a great King of his people, I have no doubt; and will raise great Kings. And the blood of Gondor will run in his heir, you mark my words."
"Oh Yarweth," Erin exclaimed.
She was cut short by the sight of herself in the mirror. Her hair gleamed in the light of the rising sun, and the pale blue and silver gown she wore showed her beauty to perfection. She wore no ornament save for a pale blue gem about her neck, an heirloom of her mother's house. Yarweth smiled again to see her.
"The blood of Gondor, my child," she said softly. "For no true man born could look upon you unmoved this day."
Erin was about to reply, but before she could do so the bells rang out, calling one and all to the ruined Gates of the City to welcome their King. With one final backward glance in the mirror, Erin hurried to join her foster-brother.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Faramir smiled at his foster-sister as she hastened down the steps to join him at the Gateway, her eyes flashing with pride. She took her place between her foster-brother and Húrin, the Warden of the Keys, before the barrier across the entrance to the city; and there she was joined by the lady Eowyn and the knights of the Mark, and together the two women looked on the ceremonies that bound the people of Gondor to their new King.
As Faramir performed his duties as Steward, Erin tried to concentrate on the ceremonies. But every now and then, her glance strayed from Faramir, Aragorn and the rest to the tall King of Rohan. When at last the ceremony was over, however, and Aragorn began to enter the City, Erin found that she had tears in her eyes that she could not explain. Aragorn smiled at her as he passed; a knowing smile, and she took great hope and comfort from it as she turned to follow the retinue of people back into Minas Tirith.
"A great day lies before us," a voice said softly behind her, and Erin turned with a start. Eomer smiled at her. "May I walk with you, my lady Erin?" he asked her formally, and she smiled back at him.
"Of course, my lord," she replied, thinking that her heart beat so loud in her chest that all around her would hear! "Is your sister also escorted?"
Eomer grinned broadly.
"I believe your foster-brother has taken care of that," he remarked, and Erin covered her mouth with her hand to hide her smiles as the two passed them by.
"They look well together," she mused, thinking aloud as she sometimes did. "And this is a great day for Minas Tirith. It is strange; when the crown was set upon his head, I found myself looking at Lord Aragorn as if for the first time. It moved me to see him so."
"I, too, looked on him anew," Eomer murmured. "I foresee great things for Gondor now that Aragorn is King."
Erin looked at him.
"And what of Rohan?" she asked softly. "Are great things to spring from the fair land of our allies also?"
"I wish I had that foresight," Eomer told her, and he looked so troubled that Erin was moved. She reached out her hand and, to her eternal amazement (as she was to later relate); found that she unconsciously took his hand in hers.
"I do not think the people of Rohan need worry," she said timorously. "You will be a great king, Eomer; for your people love you, that I can tell, and that in itself is a measure of a man. Gondor and Rohan will stand side by side in the days to come, and fair words shall replace foul deeds and all that is great and good in this world shall come to be. Rohan shall be blessed as Gondor is, and I shall rejoice in that."
Eomer stopped and studied her face.
"You know this?" he asked, amazed, and Erin nodded.
"I have seen how your men follow you," she replied. "They would follow you to the ends of the earth. And they are not alone," she added, unconsciously speaking her thoughts aloud.
Eomer said nothing in reply, but continued walking with her into the Great Hall. Many of the people present, however, noticed that they still held the others hand as they continued on their way, and Yarweth smiled a secret smile to herself.
"A great line of kings of Rohan," she murmured, "and the blood of Gondor in their veins…"