Chapter Nine
The Sea crashed into the rocky cliffs as Imrahil stood waiting for the Chief of the Corsairs to appear. Besides him stood his three sons, all proud, each bearing what they hoped was a fierce and fearless look. On his other side stood the Kings of Rohan and Gondor, the banners of Gondor, Rohan, and Dol Amroth, fluttered high in the breeze behind them, an impressive sight for anyone to see.
"What is taking so long?" Imrahil muttered under his breath. They had been waiting, as requested, for an hour. The Corsairs had sent word that they would meet with the Prince and his allies to discuss terms. If there were any signs of weapons or planned attack, Lothiriel would be killed.
Elessar looked at his friend with concern. "I am sure they have not harmed your daughter." He assured him.
"She lives." Erchirion said softly.
Amrothos looked at his older brother, "How do you know?" He asked.
"I can feel it." Eomer said softly, looking out at the waves.
All eyes turned to the Rohirrim King. Imrahil opened his mouth to ask a question, but was cut short. A horn blast came and they turned in its direction. The Corsairs had arrived. There were six of them, and they dragged along with them another figure. This one was smaller, dressed in tattered clothes and stumbled as they forced her to walk. When they reached the hill the woman stumbled and fell to the ground.
The men of Gondor and Rohan waiting cringed as they saw Lothiriel fall. Her face battered and her back slashed, as if she had been whipped. Imrahil stepped forward to help his daughter, but was stopped when the Chief Corsair pulled his sword and placed it against Lothiriel's neck.
"Come closer, and your daughter dies, Prince Imrahil." He sneered.
Her eyes met her father's and they seemed to share a silent conversation. He then stepped back, his eyes moving from her to glare at the Chief. "Return my daughter," He said coldly, "and we shall let you and your men leave these shores alive."
He laughed coldly, "Oh I think not! See, your darling little daughter here gives a great deal of weight here. I do not think you would like to see your daughter hurt." He said, pulling Lothiriel to her feet violently. "So I believe I will set the terms here." He smirked, superiorly.
Imrahil looked helplessly at his companions and nodded, "State your terms."
He smiled coldly. "I believe you will find my terms reasonable." He met the Prince's eyes. "You will sign a treaty that names the Lady Lothiriel first in line to inherited this city, until the time that she marries."
"What?" Erchirion blinked, confused.
"I am not finished." His eyes turned to Lothiriel. "You will sign a marriage treaty for you daughter. I will take her as my wife and therefore be the heir to Dol Amroth. And you, King of Gondor, shall sign as well, making Dol Amroth separate from Gondor, once I marry the Princess and claim her as my own."
Anger filled all of the men present. Eomer took a step forward, his eyes filled with rage. "By the Valar you will not!" Aragorn stopped him as the Chief's sword went to Lothiriel's neck.
"Calm yourself Eomer." He said softly, although his own eyes were filled with rage at the abuse of a woman within his realm.
The Chief's cold eyes fell on Eomer with a cold smirk. "You desire this woman? I wonder if it will be your name she utters when I bed her."
This time not only Eomer had to be restrained, but her brothers held Erchirion back as he sprang forward to defend his sister's honor as well.
"If you lay a hand on her-" Elphir threatened, uselessly.
"Do you agree to these terms?" He said, tightening his grip on Lothiriel's waist.
Imrahil looked at his daughter, he could see the fear in her eyes, and she was trembling. However, she met her father's eyes. "Father, don't."
"Silence woman!" He roughly backhanded her hard enough that she fell to the ground. "I am discussing business beyond you!"
Lothiriel glared at him fiercely, despite her battered appearance she sounded surprisingly strong, "I will die before I marry you." She said coldly.
His eyes shot cruel daggers at her, "That can be arranged." He hauled her to her feet and then handed her to one of his men to hold. He then turned back to Imrahil. "You shall have until tomorrow!" He said, taking Lothiriel back and dragging her along as they left as she stumbled behind him.
She paused a moment, and her eyes met Eomer's. It took all the control he had not to fight Aragorn's grip on his arm holding him back and run to her side and kill the Corsairs with his bare hands. His eyes willed her to hang on and gave her strength once more. She then turned as she was pushed along and was gone once more.
The six men were silent a moment as they watched the receding figures far into the distance. Amrothos was the first to find his voice once more. "Father, what are we going to do?" He asked softly.
Imrahil exchanged a look with Aragorn. He then closed his eyes and sigh, "I cannot agree to his terms. Dol Amroth is not completely mine to give." He said. "We must attack and repel the Corsairs, and pray we get to Lothiriel before it is too late."
Eomer swallowed the growing lump in his throat. His anger with the Corsairs for daring to hurt Lothiriel filled him with strength. He turned to the others, his jaw set. "I have a plan."
* * * * * * * * * * *
A/N- Will Eomer's plan work? Will they reach Lothiriel in time? Will darkness come to Dol Amroth? Tune in next time! Hehe! And while you're here, you may as well review! Go on, click the button! I dare you! I double dare you! I triple dog dare you!! What? You aren't reviewing?? CHICKEN!!!!!
Aria: You're lucky, I was going to not update for a week or so and just make it be a cliffhanger forever just to be mean, but my roommate and I decided that I should not torture people because it would make divine forces angry, and I need their help to survive the semester! Well, this part was sort of a cliffhanger too wasn't it? I guess I should add the next chapter then! I don't want any lightening bolts coming down and zapping my computer (moves laptop away from window and looks at sky suspiciously). Anyway! Thanks for the review!
The Sea crashed into the rocky cliffs as Imrahil stood waiting for the Chief of the Corsairs to appear. Besides him stood his three sons, all proud, each bearing what they hoped was a fierce and fearless look. On his other side stood the Kings of Rohan and Gondor, the banners of Gondor, Rohan, and Dol Amroth, fluttered high in the breeze behind them, an impressive sight for anyone to see.
"What is taking so long?" Imrahil muttered under his breath. They had been waiting, as requested, for an hour. The Corsairs had sent word that they would meet with the Prince and his allies to discuss terms. If there were any signs of weapons or planned attack, Lothiriel would be killed.
Elessar looked at his friend with concern. "I am sure they have not harmed your daughter." He assured him.
"She lives." Erchirion said softly.
Amrothos looked at his older brother, "How do you know?" He asked.
"I can feel it." Eomer said softly, looking out at the waves.
All eyes turned to the Rohirrim King. Imrahil opened his mouth to ask a question, but was cut short. A horn blast came and they turned in its direction. The Corsairs had arrived. There were six of them, and they dragged along with them another figure. This one was smaller, dressed in tattered clothes and stumbled as they forced her to walk. When they reached the hill the woman stumbled and fell to the ground.
The men of Gondor and Rohan waiting cringed as they saw Lothiriel fall. Her face battered and her back slashed, as if she had been whipped. Imrahil stepped forward to help his daughter, but was stopped when the Chief Corsair pulled his sword and placed it against Lothiriel's neck.
"Come closer, and your daughter dies, Prince Imrahil." He sneered.
Her eyes met her father's and they seemed to share a silent conversation. He then stepped back, his eyes moving from her to glare at the Chief. "Return my daughter," He said coldly, "and we shall let you and your men leave these shores alive."
He laughed coldly, "Oh I think not! See, your darling little daughter here gives a great deal of weight here. I do not think you would like to see your daughter hurt." He said, pulling Lothiriel to her feet violently. "So I believe I will set the terms here." He smirked, superiorly.
Imrahil looked helplessly at his companions and nodded, "State your terms."
He smiled coldly. "I believe you will find my terms reasonable." He met the Prince's eyes. "You will sign a treaty that names the Lady Lothiriel first in line to inherited this city, until the time that she marries."
"What?" Erchirion blinked, confused.
"I am not finished." His eyes turned to Lothiriel. "You will sign a marriage treaty for you daughter. I will take her as my wife and therefore be the heir to Dol Amroth. And you, King of Gondor, shall sign as well, making Dol Amroth separate from Gondor, once I marry the Princess and claim her as my own."
Anger filled all of the men present. Eomer took a step forward, his eyes filled with rage. "By the Valar you will not!" Aragorn stopped him as the Chief's sword went to Lothiriel's neck.
"Calm yourself Eomer." He said softly, although his own eyes were filled with rage at the abuse of a woman within his realm.
The Chief's cold eyes fell on Eomer with a cold smirk. "You desire this woman? I wonder if it will be your name she utters when I bed her."
This time not only Eomer had to be restrained, but her brothers held Erchirion back as he sprang forward to defend his sister's honor as well.
"If you lay a hand on her-" Elphir threatened, uselessly.
"Do you agree to these terms?" He said, tightening his grip on Lothiriel's waist.
Imrahil looked at his daughter, he could see the fear in her eyes, and she was trembling. However, she met her father's eyes. "Father, don't."
"Silence woman!" He roughly backhanded her hard enough that she fell to the ground. "I am discussing business beyond you!"
Lothiriel glared at him fiercely, despite her battered appearance she sounded surprisingly strong, "I will die before I marry you." She said coldly.
His eyes shot cruel daggers at her, "That can be arranged." He hauled her to her feet and then handed her to one of his men to hold. He then turned back to Imrahil. "You shall have until tomorrow!" He said, taking Lothiriel back and dragging her along as they left as she stumbled behind him.
She paused a moment, and her eyes met Eomer's. It took all the control he had not to fight Aragorn's grip on his arm holding him back and run to her side and kill the Corsairs with his bare hands. His eyes willed her to hang on and gave her strength once more. She then turned as she was pushed along and was gone once more.
The six men were silent a moment as they watched the receding figures far into the distance. Amrothos was the first to find his voice once more. "Father, what are we going to do?" He asked softly.
Imrahil exchanged a look with Aragorn. He then closed his eyes and sigh, "I cannot agree to his terms. Dol Amroth is not completely mine to give." He said. "We must attack and repel the Corsairs, and pray we get to Lothiriel before it is too late."
Eomer swallowed the growing lump in his throat. His anger with the Corsairs for daring to hurt Lothiriel filled him with strength. He turned to the others, his jaw set. "I have a plan."
* * * * * * * * * * *
A/N- Will Eomer's plan work? Will they reach Lothiriel in time? Will darkness come to Dol Amroth? Tune in next time! Hehe! And while you're here, you may as well review! Go on, click the button! I dare you! I double dare you! I triple dog dare you!! What? You aren't reviewing?? CHICKEN!!!!!
Aria: You're lucky, I was going to not update for a week or so and just make it be a cliffhanger forever just to be mean, but my roommate and I decided that I should not torture people because it would make divine forces angry, and I need their help to survive the semester! Well, this part was sort of a cliffhanger too wasn't it? I guess I should add the next chapter then! I don't want any lightening bolts coming down and zapping my computer (moves laptop away from window and looks at sky suspiciously). Anyway! Thanks for the review!