((I don't own any of the characters that are mentioned in Tolkiens work
(including the appendices). All other characters are my own invention,
although I have tried to keep them true to their parentage. Now that we've
finished with the legal stuff, on with the fic!))
Gilraen awoke, mind fuzzy from sleep. Sunlight streamed in through the window, giving the stones of her bedroom an amber glow. Movement could be heard from outside her door, and outside the window. The world was waking and another day was begun.
She rose and stretched, feeling muscles slide over bone before she dressed. Stepping outside her room, she was greeted with affection by one of the hounds that her father kept. Trying not to trip over the affectionate animal, and avoid the repeated lickings, Gilraen headed for the kitchen for something to eat.
The kitchen was fairly quiet, since there was only the Kings family to cater for as all the others had cooks of their own. Amidst the bustle, Gilraen spotted a familiar figure.
"Good day Araval." she greeted her brother.
"Good day to you Gilraen." he replied absently, and Gilraen chuckled.
"Your mind wanders brother, and dare I ask where?"
Araval started, and flushed almost guiltily. Gilraen burst out laughing, which drew the gazes of many of the people in the kitchen.
"Who is she this time?"
" I.. I don't know what you mean." Araval stammered, which just increased Gilraens laughter.
"Its not that funny." Araval said peevishly. Gilraen nodded, and tried to compose herself, partially succeeding, although by the look on her face, she could start laughing again at any moment.
"Shall we change the subject." her brother asked, and Gilraen nodded, not quite trusting her voice just at the moment.
Araval was just about to speak, when one of the guards approached them. "Princess Gilraen, King Telcontar asks you to attend him immediately."
Gilraen nodded, receiving a funny look from her brother, before she headed off. Once more she entered her fathers study. It seemed as though he had not moved since she left him, he was still sitting in the same position. But his face showed no signs of sleeplessness and his eyes were focused.
"You wished to see me father?" she asked, taking a seat at his gesture to sit. "I did." and he left it at that.
'Not much room for conversation left there father', Gilraen thought silently to herself, before adding aloud. "About the matter that we discussed last night?"
"Yes."
Gilraen sat in silence for a moment, pondering what to say to break the silence. Her problem was solved when her father spoke again.
"Your idea is a good one, and you seem to have planned it well. Have you thought about who you would like to accompany you?"
Gilraen considered. "Myself to represent the Dunedan, a warrior of Gondor, a dwarf, and elf, and four hobbits."
"The races that made up the fellowship." Eldarion nodded, a smile playing about his lips. "Fitting. But what about one to take the place of the Istari, Gandalf?"
"That I leave to you father." Gilraen replied, and Eldarion nodded.
*************
The main hall was filled with bodies. Courtiers, a few elves and dwarfs, hobbits all mingled together. King Eldarion held court at one end of the hall with his wife, while his five children mingled with the others, laughing and smiling.
The day's discussion had gone well, and the gathering was a reflection of this. Only Gilraen and her father knew that there was something different about this, for it was here that the spark of the idea would be implemented.
Eldarion rose to his feet, eyes surveying the gathering, before his hand raised for silence.
"This year sees the 150th year since the War of the Ring was won, and the Enemy was defeated. It is also 55 years since my father, King Elessar died, and the last of the fellowship departed these shores. In memory of these events, my daughter, Princess Gilraen has suggested a retracing of the route. Beginning from the Shire," and he offered a nod in the direction of the hobbits, " Continuing to Bree, and then Imladris. To Caradhras, Moria and Lothlorien. All the places that were visited by Frodo of the Nine Fingers, and the Fellowship of the Ring." Murmurs cut through the quiet of the hall, with all the guests looking curiously at each other.
"My daughter will take the place of one of the Dunedan, and Lord Beren of Ithilien will travel for Gondor. The intention is to form a complement as that of the Fellowship." He fell silent, letting the hall come to the obvious conclusion that those in the hall could volunteer to take the places.
Gilraen slipped quietly away from the gathering as the whispers grew. She had permission from her father to travel with the group. She stepped outside, a spring in her step as she made her way down to the lakeside once more. Behind her, another figure slipped out, and followed her, but keeping a careful distance.
Gilraen looked out over the wind ruffled surface of the water, her mind filled with images, and the planning that needed to be done before they could leave. "Lost in thought sister?" came the voice before behind her.
Gilraen turned slowly, and stared for a long moment at Araval, who grinned back.
"And it should be such an interesting trip for you as well." He said.
Gilraen raised one eyebrow quizzically. "What do you mean by that?" "Lord Beren."
"And?" Gilraen asked, started to feel slightly peevish with her brother.
"You mean you don't /know/?! What an amazing thing." Araval replied with mock astonishment.
Gilraen decided not to fence with her brother any longer in this war of words. She twisted on her heel, and once more returned to staring out at the lake.
If there was one thing that Araval couldn't stand, it was being ignored, and he was at that tender age, when girls were important to him, and to have one ignore him, even his own sister, was more than his ego could take.
"Father has already decided who you are to wed. Its Lord Beren, to cement closer ties between our two families." And Araval's held a suppressed note of laughter. "I suppose the only reason he's coming on this trip is to see if you like him enough not to throw him off Caradhras."
Gilraen spun. "Beren is descended from Faramir, brother to Boromir who was a member of the fellowship. His right to be there is clear!"
"That may as be sister." And Araval's sentence trailed off suggestively, before he turned and made his way back into the night.
Gilraen sat, unmindful of the mud that soaked the dress, and the cold ground beneath her. She had known from the moment that she mind had begun to awaken that she would wed as her father decreed. She knew that it was likely that she would not love her husband initially, but might grow to love him as time went by. Perhaps that was another reason in her fathers mind, that this trip would bring the pair closer together.
She shrugged, and pushed these thoughts from her mind. Time enough to think about that on the Road.
Gilraen awoke, mind fuzzy from sleep. Sunlight streamed in through the window, giving the stones of her bedroom an amber glow. Movement could be heard from outside her door, and outside the window. The world was waking and another day was begun.
She rose and stretched, feeling muscles slide over bone before she dressed. Stepping outside her room, she was greeted with affection by one of the hounds that her father kept. Trying not to trip over the affectionate animal, and avoid the repeated lickings, Gilraen headed for the kitchen for something to eat.
The kitchen was fairly quiet, since there was only the Kings family to cater for as all the others had cooks of their own. Amidst the bustle, Gilraen spotted a familiar figure.
"Good day Araval." she greeted her brother.
"Good day to you Gilraen." he replied absently, and Gilraen chuckled.
"Your mind wanders brother, and dare I ask where?"
Araval started, and flushed almost guiltily. Gilraen burst out laughing, which drew the gazes of many of the people in the kitchen.
"Who is she this time?"
" I.. I don't know what you mean." Araval stammered, which just increased Gilraens laughter.
"Its not that funny." Araval said peevishly. Gilraen nodded, and tried to compose herself, partially succeeding, although by the look on her face, she could start laughing again at any moment.
"Shall we change the subject." her brother asked, and Gilraen nodded, not quite trusting her voice just at the moment.
Araval was just about to speak, when one of the guards approached them. "Princess Gilraen, King Telcontar asks you to attend him immediately."
Gilraen nodded, receiving a funny look from her brother, before she headed off. Once more she entered her fathers study. It seemed as though he had not moved since she left him, he was still sitting in the same position. But his face showed no signs of sleeplessness and his eyes were focused.
"You wished to see me father?" she asked, taking a seat at his gesture to sit. "I did." and he left it at that.
'Not much room for conversation left there father', Gilraen thought silently to herself, before adding aloud. "About the matter that we discussed last night?"
"Yes."
Gilraen sat in silence for a moment, pondering what to say to break the silence. Her problem was solved when her father spoke again.
"Your idea is a good one, and you seem to have planned it well. Have you thought about who you would like to accompany you?"
Gilraen considered. "Myself to represent the Dunedan, a warrior of Gondor, a dwarf, and elf, and four hobbits."
"The races that made up the fellowship." Eldarion nodded, a smile playing about his lips. "Fitting. But what about one to take the place of the Istari, Gandalf?"
"That I leave to you father." Gilraen replied, and Eldarion nodded.
*************
The main hall was filled with bodies. Courtiers, a few elves and dwarfs, hobbits all mingled together. King Eldarion held court at one end of the hall with his wife, while his five children mingled with the others, laughing and smiling.
The day's discussion had gone well, and the gathering was a reflection of this. Only Gilraen and her father knew that there was something different about this, for it was here that the spark of the idea would be implemented.
Eldarion rose to his feet, eyes surveying the gathering, before his hand raised for silence.
"This year sees the 150th year since the War of the Ring was won, and the Enemy was defeated. It is also 55 years since my father, King Elessar died, and the last of the fellowship departed these shores. In memory of these events, my daughter, Princess Gilraen has suggested a retracing of the route. Beginning from the Shire," and he offered a nod in the direction of the hobbits, " Continuing to Bree, and then Imladris. To Caradhras, Moria and Lothlorien. All the places that were visited by Frodo of the Nine Fingers, and the Fellowship of the Ring." Murmurs cut through the quiet of the hall, with all the guests looking curiously at each other.
"My daughter will take the place of one of the Dunedan, and Lord Beren of Ithilien will travel for Gondor. The intention is to form a complement as that of the Fellowship." He fell silent, letting the hall come to the obvious conclusion that those in the hall could volunteer to take the places.
Gilraen slipped quietly away from the gathering as the whispers grew. She had permission from her father to travel with the group. She stepped outside, a spring in her step as she made her way down to the lakeside once more. Behind her, another figure slipped out, and followed her, but keeping a careful distance.
Gilraen looked out over the wind ruffled surface of the water, her mind filled with images, and the planning that needed to be done before they could leave. "Lost in thought sister?" came the voice before behind her.
Gilraen turned slowly, and stared for a long moment at Araval, who grinned back.
"And it should be such an interesting trip for you as well." He said.
Gilraen raised one eyebrow quizzically. "What do you mean by that?" "Lord Beren."
"And?" Gilraen asked, started to feel slightly peevish with her brother.
"You mean you don't /know/?! What an amazing thing." Araval replied with mock astonishment.
Gilraen decided not to fence with her brother any longer in this war of words. She twisted on her heel, and once more returned to staring out at the lake.
If there was one thing that Araval couldn't stand, it was being ignored, and he was at that tender age, when girls were important to him, and to have one ignore him, even his own sister, was more than his ego could take.
"Father has already decided who you are to wed. Its Lord Beren, to cement closer ties between our two families." And Araval's held a suppressed note of laughter. "I suppose the only reason he's coming on this trip is to see if you like him enough not to throw him off Caradhras."
Gilraen spun. "Beren is descended from Faramir, brother to Boromir who was a member of the fellowship. His right to be there is clear!"
"That may as be sister." And Araval's sentence trailed off suggestively, before he turned and made his way back into the night.
Gilraen sat, unmindful of the mud that soaked the dress, and the cold ground beneath her. She had known from the moment that she mind had begun to awaken that she would wed as her father decreed. She knew that it was likely that she would not love her husband initially, but might grow to love him as time went by. Perhaps that was another reason in her fathers mind, that this trip would bring the pair closer together.
She shrugged, and pushed these thoughts from her mind. Time enough to think about that on the Road.