Still don't own LOTR. Ahem, romance galore in this chapter! Enjoy!
******************
The sun was shining bright, and a thin mist hovered over the plains. Lorna hadn't stopped pestering the guards with her questions all morning, and soon became angered that they wouldn't answer her.
"What were those cries I heard coming from deep in the wood last night? I know something was there, now tell me!" she demanded as the horses were being mounted. She saw a purple flower sticking out of the grass and stick it in her hair.
"It is not for a young woman like you to be concerned about, now ride!" one guard said with faux impatience. Soon all were laughing and singing, except for one guard, who looked very weary. He was cut above his eye, but insisted that it was from a branch.
When they stopped for lunch the wounded guard told Lorna all he knew, which made her terrified, and wishing she hadn't asked.
"The camp we set up last night was awfully close to a band of orcs passing nearby." He whispered. "They were small, but put up quite a fight. We killed them all, though, unless a few were unaccounted for and slipped into the forest. Not to fear, though! Minas Tirith will be safe, and your journey the few more miles will also be safe!" he announced, and then they set off again, to the white city in the distance.
"Who approaches?" came a voice from the city wall. A silver helm appeared, and one of Lorna's guides answered:
"We are guards of the city, defenders of these walls, and the escort of Lady Lorna of the Hasunder home. Open the gate and let weary soldiers through!"
The gate the opened and Lorna returned to her city. Just as she entered she was greeted by her mother (in tears) and Erian, holding a bouquet of wildflowers.
"Welcome back!" Erian shouted and, dropping the flowers, he helped Lorna dismount Tellan. Sobbing with joy, Lorna wrapped her arms around Erian and kissed both of his cheeks. Her mother then approched. Lorna noticed that she limped a little, and had grown many gray hairs in the past year.
"Lorna, my daughter. You found the man of Rohan to be unfit? I suppose I am losing my touch." Loo said quietly.
"If it was not for our own loves, Raedan and I would quite surely be married now." Lorna reassured her, and they hugged.
"Come then, let's go home." Loo said. Lorna saw a nearby shrub rustle, but there was no wind that day.
"Just a moment." She answered and walked cautiously to the shrub. When she was within three feet or so a tall man dressed all in black and silver stood up from behind the shrub.
"Lorentia Hasunder?" he queried. Lorna nodded, eyeing him suspiciously.
"Could you spare a few minutes, I am in need of a few words."
"Well, I should be getting back home, see, I just arrived from a long journey and I am quite weary."
"Yes, yes, well, perhaps I should introduce myself. My name is Beregond, and I was sent by Master Boromir, son of the Steward Denethor." Lorna stood silent for a few minutes, then called back to her mother that she would be late returning home. Then she followed Beregond behind the guard's tower. What she saw there she would never forget. Boromir paced back and forth under the shadow of the tower, dressed in silver and black, adorned in silver weapons. He appeared to be taller and older, a man, different from when Lorna had last seen him.
"Lorna." Boromir began. Beregond disappeared, and the two were left alone.
"Boromir!" Lorna exclaimed, and ran to him. Boromir grabbed her waist and lifted her to his eye level. Grabbing the sides of Boromir's face, Lorna spoke:
"Long have I yearned for your company! It seemed a lifetime I was away."
"My lady, it was a lifetime, and without you it seemed longer than eternity!" Boromir responded and they kissed. He then set her down and they stood together, embraced, until Boromir spoke again.
"You have not married then?" he seemed shy and timid as he asked the question.
Lorna smiled "No, both of our hearts were already stolen."
"Good, so you will stay in the city now?" Boromir asked.
"It is my only wish at the moment." Lorna replied.
"And mine as well. There was no sun as long as you were away."
Lorna smiled and kissed Boromir, and they both walked lazily around the small courtyard behind the guard's tower until nearly nightfall.
"Mother expects me back." Lorna whispered, not wanting to leave.
"Will we meet again soon?" Boromir queried as he held her waist between his strong hands. Lorna's own hands were rested on Boromir's biceps, and she looked into his eyes.
"A guard of the city has no time for petty peasant women, now does he?" Lorna teased.
"This guard does. And a peasant woman you shall be for not much longer, if you would forgive me. I meant to see you off, and I've apologized ten thousand times already!"
"And now you are forgiven." Lorna replied and rested her head on his chest.
"Lorna." Boromir began.
"Yes?"
"I said 'a peasant woman you shall not be for much longer,' I meant it." Lorna seemed comfused, so Boromir continued.
"I wish for you to be my wife."
Lorna was surprised, and didn't answer for many minutes.
"Will you marry me?" Boromir asked again. He seemed hurt that Lorna didn't reply.
"B-Boromir, you can't mean.marry?" Lorna exclaimed. Tears formed in her eyes.
"Yes! Marry me, if you will. I love you, and you love me, so let's marry!"
"Well," Lorna stammered.
"You do love me, don't you?" Boromir sounded even more hurt.
"Yes! I love you with all my heart, and if it is what you wish, I will marry you, as long as I have your love and your heart forever!" Lorna exclaimed in one breath. Boromir seemed pleased, because he lifted Lorna above his head and laughed and kissed her for several minutes. Then they made wedding plans as Boromir walked Lorna home.
The sun was shining bright, and a thin mist hovered over the plains. Lorna hadn't stopped pestering the guards with her questions all morning, and soon became angered that they wouldn't answer her.
"What were those cries I heard coming from deep in the wood last night? I know something was there, now tell me!" she demanded as the horses were being mounted. She saw a purple flower sticking out of the grass and stick it in her hair.
"It is not for a young woman like you to be concerned about, now ride!" one guard said with faux impatience. Soon all were laughing and singing, except for one guard, who looked very weary. He was cut above his eye, but insisted that it was from a branch.
When they stopped for lunch the wounded guard told Lorna all he knew, which made her terrified, and wishing she hadn't asked.
"The camp we set up last night was awfully close to a band of orcs passing nearby." He whispered. "They were small, but put up quite a fight. We killed them all, though, unless a few were unaccounted for and slipped into the forest. Not to fear, though! Minas Tirith will be safe, and your journey the few more miles will also be safe!" he announced, and then they set off again, to the white city in the distance.
"Who approaches?" came a voice from the city wall. A silver helm appeared, and one of Lorna's guides answered:
"We are guards of the city, defenders of these walls, and the escort of Lady Lorna of the Hasunder home. Open the gate and let weary soldiers through!"
The gate the opened and Lorna returned to her city. Just as she entered she was greeted by her mother (in tears) and Erian, holding a bouquet of wildflowers.
"Welcome back!" Erian shouted and, dropping the flowers, he helped Lorna dismount Tellan. Sobbing with joy, Lorna wrapped her arms around Erian and kissed both of his cheeks. Her mother then approched. Lorna noticed that she limped a little, and had grown many gray hairs in the past year.
"Lorna, my daughter. You found the man of Rohan to be unfit? I suppose I am losing my touch." Loo said quietly.
"If it was not for our own loves, Raedan and I would quite surely be married now." Lorna reassured her, and they hugged.
"Come then, let's go home." Loo said. Lorna saw a nearby shrub rustle, but there was no wind that day.
"Just a moment." She answered and walked cautiously to the shrub. When she was within three feet or so a tall man dressed all in black and silver stood up from behind the shrub.
"Lorentia Hasunder?" he queried. Lorna nodded, eyeing him suspiciously.
"Could you spare a few minutes, I am in need of a few words."
"Well, I should be getting back home, see, I just arrived from a long journey and I am quite weary."
"Yes, yes, well, perhaps I should introduce myself. My name is Beregond, and I was sent by Master Boromir, son of the Steward Denethor." Lorna stood silent for a few minutes, then called back to her mother that she would be late returning home. Then she followed Beregond behind the guard's tower. What she saw there she would never forget. Boromir paced back and forth under the shadow of the tower, dressed in silver and black, adorned in silver weapons. He appeared to be taller and older, a man, different from when Lorna had last seen him.
"Lorna." Boromir began. Beregond disappeared, and the two were left alone.
"Boromir!" Lorna exclaimed, and ran to him. Boromir grabbed her waist and lifted her to his eye level. Grabbing the sides of Boromir's face, Lorna spoke:
"Long have I yearned for your company! It seemed a lifetime I was away."
"My lady, it was a lifetime, and without you it seemed longer than eternity!" Boromir responded and they kissed. He then set her down and they stood together, embraced, until Boromir spoke again.
"You have not married then?" he seemed shy and timid as he asked the question.
Lorna smiled "No, both of our hearts were already stolen."
"Good, so you will stay in the city now?" Boromir asked.
"It is my only wish at the moment." Lorna replied.
"And mine as well. There was no sun as long as you were away."
Lorna smiled and kissed Boromir, and they both walked lazily around the small courtyard behind the guard's tower until nearly nightfall.
"Mother expects me back." Lorna whispered, not wanting to leave.
"Will we meet again soon?" Boromir queried as he held her waist between his strong hands. Lorna's own hands were rested on Boromir's biceps, and she looked into his eyes.
"A guard of the city has no time for petty peasant women, now does he?" Lorna teased.
"This guard does. And a peasant woman you shall be for not much longer, if you would forgive me. I meant to see you off, and I've apologized ten thousand times already!"
"And now you are forgiven." Lorna replied and rested her head on his chest.
"Lorna." Boromir began.
"Yes?"
"I said 'a peasant woman you shall not be for much longer,' I meant it." Lorna seemed comfused, so Boromir continued.
"I wish for you to be my wife."
Lorna was surprised, and didn't answer for many minutes.
"Will you marry me?" Boromir asked again. He seemed hurt that Lorna didn't reply.
"B-Boromir, you can't mean.marry?" Lorna exclaimed. Tears formed in her eyes.
"Yes! Marry me, if you will. I love you, and you love me, so let's marry!"
"Well," Lorna stammered.
"You do love me, don't you?" Boromir sounded even more hurt.
"Yes! I love you with all my heart, and if it is what you wish, I will marry you, as long as I have your love and your heart forever!" Lorna exclaimed in one breath. Boromir seemed pleased, because he lifted Lorna above his head and laughed and kissed her for several minutes. Then they made wedding plans as Boromir walked Lorna home.
