Ow!!!! That smelt foul. Wait, where am I?

She coughed, trying to turn her head away from the foul smell.

"What is that?"

"Bogwort, with a hint of monksbane and a little-" a man's voice began.

"Numair, the poor girl doesn't need you reciting the ingredients to that horrible stuff." Another voice, a woman's, filled with laughter. "Here, let's take the mask off her face." The blackness disappeared and Eowyn could see she was in a white-walled room, and that a young woman was standing by the bed on which she lay. A man wearing black robes of some kind stood beside her.

"Where-" Eowyn began.

"You're in the healing house at the palace, Corus," the man [Numair?] told her.

"Cor-?"

"Get some sleep now, King Jonathan wants to see you tomorrow morning and believe me you'll need the rest."

"Who?"

"You'll feel better in the morning. Sleep well."

Where was she? Eowyn didn't think it was anyplace in Middlearth she knew. And who was this King Jonathan and why did he want to see her? She gave up puzzling and fell asleep.

/////\\\\\

Next morning, when she woke, Eowyn still hadn't figured out where she was. Corus? There was no such place. When Eowyn moved, the young woman looked up from the desk on the far side of the room.

"Feeling better? You'd best have something to eat before you dress and then I'll take you to Numair's workroom. Elsewise he might spoil your appetite and you need to eat. By the way, I'm Daine. You might not've grasped that when they carried you in here."

As she spoke, she produced a mug of steaming liquid.

"Drink this first. It's a magic so it'll taste foul, but it's good for getting over a healing."

Feeling confused, Eowyn drank the liquid. The woman, Daine, was right, it tasted horrible and she screwed up her face against the taste. Daine offered her fruit and porridge, at least, that's what it looked like. Eowyn was suddenly hungry. She ate heartily. When she set down her spoon, she saw that Daine had laid out her clothes on the chair. Daine helped her dress. Eowyn would have argued but Daine, forestalling her said, "There's no way you'll be able to dress yourself, weak as you are. You'd much better let me help you."

Eowyn still would have argued, but she couldn't be bothered. And she felt so tired. When she was ready, Daine led her out into a maze of corridors. They were pasing an ornately carved door when Eowyn heard raised voices.

"Kalasin, I have told you before, it is NOT fitting that you should be a page."

"Then why did you change the law so girls could be pages? You weren't so fussy about what was fitting when Lady Alanna was made a knight."

"That was different."

"What, because she was your lover? I've heard the palace gossip you know."

"KALASIN! You will go to your room and you will NOT speak to me about this matter again. Girls can NOT be knights. Especially not you."

"You gods-cursed hypocrite!"

The door was flung open and a girl aged about 11, Eowyn thought, came storming out. She saw Eowyn and Daine, and flung past them, running down the corridor and disappearing round a corner.

"What the-?" Eowyn began.

"THAT was Kalasin," Daine said wryly, "Eldest daughter of King Jonathan. She wants to become a knight and learn to fight like her brother, but her father won't let her."

"Why not?"

"He says a princess mustn't."

"That's not fair".

"No, but you can't argue with the king. Believe me, people've tried. The only people who can are Queen Thayet, Lady Alanna and Numair.

"Oh can't I?"

Daine stared at her in disbelief.

"You don't mean to say you're going to-"

"That's exactly what I mean. I wasn't allowed to fight to defend my home. Maybe I can do something for Kalasin."

"But-"

Eowyn ignored her and shoved open the door. She saw a very good-looking man sitting at a desk on the far side of the room. He glanced up.

"What part of 'no' don't you understand Kalasin?" he began.

Then he realised the irate woman in armour who stood before him, glaring furiously was definitely NOT his daughter.