A/N: Okay, this is one of those fics involving an original character. This
involves me-and this is based from one of my drafts involving a teenager
from Ithilien. Well, have fun because this is superbly absurd.
I don't own anybody except for Niliwen. This is not a Mary-Sue-I will NOT
pair myself with anybody! Besides, this fic involves everyone-I'm just a
bystander.
Chapter 1: Minas Tirith
I walked along the streets of Minas Tirith alone, the September after the King had returned to the White City. What was I, a girl of one-and twenty years of age, doing alone out here at night? Simple. I had nowhere to go to. My father and mother were long gone-killed in an orc raid years ago. So I'd been staying with the healer Ioreth until yesterday, when she'd told me that I was old enough to go on my own. Well, so I was out walking, trying to figure out what to do with my life. Perhaps I'd return to Ithilien, try to live on my own. But something told me "Are you crazy? Going back to Ithilien is suicide-nobody in a sane mind would live there!" But something also said, "That was a few months ago. There is a King now. Sauron has fallen. It will be alright there". But for now, I decided to see how much the city had changed at night. Just then, I heard two voices in the street.
I ducked behind a corner, and I listened. Unfortunately, I have this habit of eavesdropping. Ioreth says it's disgusting. Well, I was even more disgusted with myself at this point. Because I was overhearing the Steward and the White Lady of Rohan! I'd seen them before in the Houses of Healing, but I never really spoke to either of them. "Oh by the Valar! I have to get stuck on this street!" I swore under my breath. I waited until the talking had ceased, and I slipped out of the shadows-only to end up bumping into Lady Eowyn. Now if she'd found out that I'd heard all that Lord Faramir had said to her, she'd probably not let me live this down. "Good evening, Lady Eowyn" I managed to stammer as I curtsied. "Good evening too, miss. What's your name?" she asked me. "I'm Niliwen of Ithilien" I said. "What are you doing here alone, Niliwen?" she asked me. "My lady, I just was walking around. Minas Tirith is lovely now, isn't it? I remarked. "It is, but it is not as fair as Ithilien" Lady Eowyn said. "So the Lord Faramir has taken you there already?" I asked, since I knew that he'd only been engaged to Lady Eowyn for a few months. I knew from Ioreth that the wedding would be before the end of the month. "He has, and in such a short time, I have come to love the place" Lady Eowyn said. "Actually, I have to get going. Good night, my lady" I said before I scurried into the darkness.
I begged with Ioreth to let me stay until October, and she let me. Now, the City was like a beehive, what with all the people running about either still trying to pick up their lives or preparing for the Steward's wedding to the Lady of Rohan. Finally, the day came and went. I was present at the wedding too, and I'd gotten so tipsy at the reception that Ioreth had dragged me to the Houses of Healing, scolding me all the way. Two days later, when I was completely sober, I began considering my options. I could try to seek employment as a maid in the Citadel. Perhaps I could pursue an apprenticeship somewhere. Or maybe I could (heaven forbid) become a Ranger of Ithilien. I decided to try to find a job in the city. Maybe someone would take me in.
Two weeks after the wedding, I met Lady Eowyn in the street again in the morning. She recognized me, and we began talking as we walked back to the Citadel. I mentioned my situation and a thoughtful look came in her eyes. "Maybe you can help us out in Ithilien. I can always ask my husband" she suggested. "My lady, I was considering getting a job here in the city or in the Citadel" I said sheepishly. "You grew up in Ithilien, did you not? You would probably know what to do there Have you no other relatives, Niliwen?" she asked me. "If I had relatives, would I be here, my lady?" I asked.
Three days later, my situation was desperate. All my other friends who were in the same fix as I was had gotten jobs already-mostly in the Citadel. Anyway, I had to take the option of accepting Lady Eowyn's offer. I knew what helping out meant. I would probably be helping out Beregond and his son little Bergil in Emyn Arnen, or I'd be a servant in the Steward's house. Either way, I had not much of a choice.
I rode to Emyn Arnen one slightly wet day, and I stopped for a while at Beregond's house. "Bergil? Are you home?" I called as I knocked on the door, since I knew that the boy would most probably be here. All I got was a small ball thrown out of a window. "Bergil!" I yelled. He opened the door and looked at me. "Well, what brings you here, Niliwen?" he asked. "I need to talk to your father. I need his help" I said. "He's meeting with Lord Faramir now. Shall we go? Father said I could follow him" Bergil said. "Okay, let's go" I said.
True to Bergil's word, we found his father meeting with the Steward. Apparently, Lady Eowyn of Ithilien had told both of them about me, and they weren't surprised when I turned up. "So, you finally decided to help out?" Bergil asked me after I conferred with Lord Faramir. "Well, at least I get to help out in some small things in the Steward's house, and I get to help your father out in some broader matters" I said contentedly. It wasn't such a bad arrangement. I got to stay in the Steward's household, and my pay wasn't so bad to start off. Honestly, being Lady Eowyn's maidservant wouldn't be a bad thing after all.
A/N: Okay, next chapter will be Niliwen's first day at work. Please review!
Chapter 1: Minas Tirith
I walked along the streets of Minas Tirith alone, the September after the King had returned to the White City. What was I, a girl of one-and twenty years of age, doing alone out here at night? Simple. I had nowhere to go to. My father and mother were long gone-killed in an orc raid years ago. So I'd been staying with the healer Ioreth until yesterday, when she'd told me that I was old enough to go on my own. Well, so I was out walking, trying to figure out what to do with my life. Perhaps I'd return to Ithilien, try to live on my own. But something told me "Are you crazy? Going back to Ithilien is suicide-nobody in a sane mind would live there!" But something also said, "That was a few months ago. There is a King now. Sauron has fallen. It will be alright there". But for now, I decided to see how much the city had changed at night. Just then, I heard two voices in the street.
I ducked behind a corner, and I listened. Unfortunately, I have this habit of eavesdropping. Ioreth says it's disgusting. Well, I was even more disgusted with myself at this point. Because I was overhearing the Steward and the White Lady of Rohan! I'd seen them before in the Houses of Healing, but I never really spoke to either of them. "Oh by the Valar! I have to get stuck on this street!" I swore under my breath. I waited until the talking had ceased, and I slipped out of the shadows-only to end up bumping into Lady Eowyn. Now if she'd found out that I'd heard all that Lord Faramir had said to her, she'd probably not let me live this down. "Good evening, Lady Eowyn" I managed to stammer as I curtsied. "Good evening too, miss. What's your name?" she asked me. "I'm Niliwen of Ithilien" I said. "What are you doing here alone, Niliwen?" she asked me. "My lady, I just was walking around. Minas Tirith is lovely now, isn't it? I remarked. "It is, but it is not as fair as Ithilien" Lady Eowyn said. "So the Lord Faramir has taken you there already?" I asked, since I knew that he'd only been engaged to Lady Eowyn for a few months. I knew from Ioreth that the wedding would be before the end of the month. "He has, and in such a short time, I have come to love the place" Lady Eowyn said. "Actually, I have to get going. Good night, my lady" I said before I scurried into the darkness.
I begged with Ioreth to let me stay until October, and she let me. Now, the City was like a beehive, what with all the people running about either still trying to pick up their lives or preparing for the Steward's wedding to the Lady of Rohan. Finally, the day came and went. I was present at the wedding too, and I'd gotten so tipsy at the reception that Ioreth had dragged me to the Houses of Healing, scolding me all the way. Two days later, when I was completely sober, I began considering my options. I could try to seek employment as a maid in the Citadel. Perhaps I could pursue an apprenticeship somewhere. Or maybe I could (heaven forbid) become a Ranger of Ithilien. I decided to try to find a job in the city. Maybe someone would take me in.
Two weeks after the wedding, I met Lady Eowyn in the street again in the morning. She recognized me, and we began talking as we walked back to the Citadel. I mentioned my situation and a thoughtful look came in her eyes. "Maybe you can help us out in Ithilien. I can always ask my husband" she suggested. "My lady, I was considering getting a job here in the city or in the Citadel" I said sheepishly. "You grew up in Ithilien, did you not? You would probably know what to do there Have you no other relatives, Niliwen?" she asked me. "If I had relatives, would I be here, my lady?" I asked.
Three days later, my situation was desperate. All my other friends who were in the same fix as I was had gotten jobs already-mostly in the Citadel. Anyway, I had to take the option of accepting Lady Eowyn's offer. I knew what helping out meant. I would probably be helping out Beregond and his son little Bergil in Emyn Arnen, or I'd be a servant in the Steward's house. Either way, I had not much of a choice.
I rode to Emyn Arnen one slightly wet day, and I stopped for a while at Beregond's house. "Bergil? Are you home?" I called as I knocked on the door, since I knew that the boy would most probably be here. All I got was a small ball thrown out of a window. "Bergil!" I yelled. He opened the door and looked at me. "Well, what brings you here, Niliwen?" he asked. "I need to talk to your father. I need his help" I said. "He's meeting with Lord Faramir now. Shall we go? Father said I could follow him" Bergil said. "Okay, let's go" I said.
True to Bergil's word, we found his father meeting with the Steward. Apparently, Lady Eowyn of Ithilien had told both of them about me, and they weren't surprised when I turned up. "So, you finally decided to help out?" Bergil asked me after I conferred with Lord Faramir. "Well, at least I get to help out in some small things in the Steward's house, and I get to help your father out in some broader matters" I said contentedly. It wasn't such a bad arrangement. I got to stay in the Steward's household, and my pay wasn't so bad to start off. Honestly, being Lady Eowyn's maidservant wouldn't be a bad thing after all.
A/N: Okay, next chapter will be Niliwen's first day at work. Please review!