I followed the river Anduin down to Osgiliath, and from there took the main
road to Minas Tirith. Storm clouds were building in the south, and with
them grew my anxiety. I kicked my horse into a gallop, and sped my way
through the streets of Minas Tirith, up to the very top, and to the
citadel. I slid off my horse and hurried into the main hall. It was empty
apart from a small boy sitting on the steps that led to the throne of
Gondor.
He looked up as I hurried in. he hurriedly stood.
"Are you here to help mother?" he asked softly. I suddenly realised this was why I had been so anxious to get here.
"What's wrong with her?" I asked.
"They said she was going to have a baby, but then the priests said she was going to die."
"Take me to her. I might be able to save her life." I said quickly. He grabbed my hand, and ran down the corridors, and I followed him at a run. We came to a door and he nodded.
"She's in there, but I'm not allowed to go in." I nodded and stood straight, and tucked my hair behind my ears.
"Right. Go find the midwives. Ask the women that have been helping your mother while she's been ill. Run! We might be able to save her yet." The little boy ran off, and I drew a deep breath, and opened the door.
*&*
The room was full of smoke and priests. It was dark, hot and smelly. One of them turned to me.
"How dare you interrupt the sacred ritual?" he hissed.
"This is a birthing room, not a funeral!" I shouted. "Get out! All of you, out!" the priests turned.
"We have Lord Denethor's blessing to be here." One said.
"And so do I." I claimed. "He told me to help his wife and help her I will. Now get out!" I shouted. I upended their incense and stamped out the embers, then physically pushed the priests out the door the little boy was holding open. Just outside were three surprised looking women. The priests were looking reluctant to leave. "If you do not leave now, Lord Denethor will have you all executed, charged with the murder of his wife and unborn child! Now GET OUT!" I had been bluffing, of course, but by the way the priests moved after I said that, it seemed there might have been a chance of that after all.
I ushered the women in quickly, and they began fussing over the pregnant woman. I turned to the little boy.
"What's your name?" I asked.
"I am Prince Boromir." He said, with a little bow. I curtsied.
"Well, my prince, I think that you should go and amuse yourself for a while. I'm going to be caring for your mother for the next few hours, and you don't want to get in the way, do you?" I asked gently. He shook his head vehemently. "Good. Off you go then, lad, and I'll see if I can save your mother." He scurried off, and I shut the door and locked it. The women looked at me dumbly.
"Get the fire going!" I exclaimed. "I want hot water, lots of it!" the women scurried to do as they were told. "I opened the big windows on the far side of the room, and a cool, pre-storm breeze blew through the room, making the gauzy white curtains billow. I quickly tied them in knots so they wouldn't get in the way. "Get me a big silver basin," I ordered, "big enough to wash a baby in." another woman hurried off. I filled a small bowl with hot water and sprinkled Athelas in it. It filled the room with a clean smell. Then I came to the woman.
"My lady." I curtsied, even as I felt her head for a temperature. The silver basin arrived, and I set it outside where rain was now falling heavily. The basin immediately began to fill with the clean fresh water.
"Thank you." She gasped out. I touched her stomach. The contractions were coming fast and hard, and by the feel of it, the baby was the wrong way up. I gently kneaded her swollen belly, until he was the right way around. Then I hauled the woman up.
"You!" I called to one of the serving women. "Help me walk her." We walked the lady up and down the room beside the open windows, and I learnt that she was the Lady Finduilas, the wife of Lord Denethor, Steward of Gondor. This was her second child, the first being Prince Boromir, who I had met earlier, who was now five. Eventually she could walk no more, and we laid her on the bed, where she lay and gripped my hand as the contractions flowed through her.
*&*
The pregnancy was a long one, not that I have lots of experience. But the baby was born early the following morning, after much tears, sweat and effort. It was a perfect baby boy. I tied off the umbilical cord, and cut it. I had the women bring in the basin of rainwater, and I knelt beside it and washed the crying baby in the cold water, murmuring the traditional blessings and charms that had been said in Mordor for centuries before the men took the throne. Then I wrapped the baby in a blanket and brought it to the Lady Finduilas.
"Take it to my husband. Present him with his son, Prince Faramir." She gasped out. I nodded, and took off the soiled tunic that went over my dress so I was left in the plain blue dress I had been wearing all night. I picked up the little prince, and carried him to the main hall, where Denethor was speaking with guests. He was also, I noticed, speaking with the priests, and looking worried.
I knocked loudly on the side door as I entered, and all attention turned to me. I walked slowly up the hall as the crowds split before me.
"My Lord!" I said in a loud voice. "The Lady Finduilas wishes me to present to you your son, Faramir." I reached the Steward, and dipped a curtsey, even as I held onto the baby, who did not cry as he had in the birthing room, but looked around curiously.
The Steward took the baby from me, and raised him into the air. "This is my son, the Prince Faramir, and I accept him as mine own, and of the line of the Stewards of Gondor!" the room burst into applause, and I was suddenly proud of the world I lived in, and the people with which I inhabited it.
He handed baby Faramir back to me and nodded, a clear dismissal. As I walked back down the halls, cradling the now crying Faramir in my arms, I revelled in the bright morning sunlight which streamed through the windows. I walked back into the birthing room and was immediately stunned by the darkness of the room.
Lady Finduilas lay on the soiled bed, looking anxious. I handed Faramir back to her, and she accepted him gladly.
"Did he.?"
"Accepted him before witnesses." I said with a smile. She gave a great sigh of relief.
"Oh good." She began to croon over her baby, and when he began to cry, she held him to her breast and he began to feed.
I turned to one of the women. "Has the after birth passed yet?" I asked. She nodded. "Good. Now, I want you to find me a large airy room, with big windows. I want it to be clean and bright for the Lady Finduilas."
"There's the gold room in the east wing." She offered.
"Is it close?" I asked, she nodded. "Show me."
She led me to the 'gold room' which was perfect. It was a big wood panelled room which caught the light of the rising sun and made the room seem golden. There was a big white four-poster bed in the corner, and a clean fireplace in the wall. White gauze curtains hung over the floor-to- ceiling windows, and from the canopy of the four poster.
"It's good. I want to get the Lady Finduilas bathed, clean, and then in here, which is a much better room than the one she's in."
*&*
Back in the birthing room, I spoke to the Lady Finduilas.
"My lady, I would like to move you to a much better and cleaner room, where you and Prince Faramir can rest." I said. She smiled at me.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"I am the Lady Jané, from Rivendell. I arrived last night and heard of your trouble and came to help. I hope I did not take any liberties." To be honest, I didn't care one way or the other, but it never hurt to be polite.
"Of course not! I am the Lady Finduilas, though you may just call me Finduilas. I owe you my life."
"If I am to call you Finduilas, then please call me Jané. If the young prince is finished, we can get you bathed and changed, and then I would like to move you to the.gold room, is it? There you and Faramir can rest in much more pleasant surroundings." Finduilas handed the baby to me, and I passed him to one of the women. She sat up, rather unsteadily, and I had one of the women support her while I gently washed her clean of the blood of childbirth, and then helped her into the clean night dress one of the women handed me. I brushed her hair, and pulled it back into a simple plait down her back. She was a beautiful woman once the grime of childbirth had been washed away.
*&*
We moved to the gold room, and I sat by her bed and we talked while Faramir slept.
"The priests were going to kill me, I know it." Finduilas exclaimed.
"I know, my lady. And I expect your lord wont be too pleased with me - I forcibly made them leave."
"I am his wife. And you are now formally under my protection, which he cannot go against without my permission."
"Thank you." I said.
"There is only one thing I am worried about." She said.
"What is it?"
"My other son, Boromir. Now that I am busy with Faramir, Boromir's upkeep will be left to the priests, who I do not trust. Could I ask you perhaps to watch over him, care for him while I am with Faramir. I would not ask, except I feel I can trust you, and Boromir needs someone who will hug him instead of command him." I smiled.
"I would be honoured to care for the prince Boromir." I said with a smile.
"Wonderful." She said with a smile, and then she slipped into a deep sleep.
I loosed the curtains so the morning light was not so harsh on the sleeping Lady, and the stoked the fire so that it would be safe, yet warm in the room. I checked on the sleeping Faramir, who lay in a beautiful beech cradle carved with the White Tree of Gondor on the head and foot boards. Then I slipped out of the room, and found myself face to face with the Steward of Gondor, the young Prince Boromir at his side. I sank into a deep curtsey, my head bowed, which brought me to Boromir's eye level. I winked, and then slowly rose.
"My lord." I said.
"Who are you, and how came you here?" the Steward demanded.
"My lord, please. Your wife is sleeping, and I would not wake her." I cautioned.
"Indeed. Follow me." He swept away, the prince trotting at his side like a pet dog. I followed, and found myself in the main hall.
"Now, Who are you, and how came you here?" he asked again.
"I am the Lady Eldira Jané, and I come from just about everywhere, though I grew up in Imladris with Lord Elrond as my guardian. I originally intended simply to visit Gondor, because I have never been here before, but when I heard of the Lady's troubles, I thought I could help."
"The priests say you cast a curse upon her." Denethor intoned, and I could suddenly see the dark robed priest in the background.
"I cast no curse, for I know none. It is the priests who would kill her with their incense."
"It is holy." The priest said, taking a step forward.
"Not in a birthroom. The Lady thanked me herself for saving her life and put me under her protection." The priest halted, and Denethor frowned.
"This is true?" he demanded.
"As true as your new-born son." I said.
"You said it would be still-born!" Denethor accused the priest.
"The birth was difficult, as the baby was the wrong way around. I turned the baby around, and then the birth continued as expected." I said quickly.
"May I see mother?" Boromir asked.
"Not now, little one. She has been working hard all night, and she is very tired." I said softly. He nodded.
"You will, of course, need quarters. Shend! Show the Lady Eldira to some quarters." A dark-robed servant came out of the shadows and guided me to a set of rooms, and my saddlebags soon arrived. A servant appeared with a bath and then disappeared, so I quickly washed myself and put on a clean dress and redid my hair so I did not look such a mess as before. There was a very small, quiet knock on the door, and I opened it to find Boromir standing there, looking quite nervous.
"Can we go see her now? Only I don't want to talk, just see if she's alright." He babbled. I smiled and took his tiny hand.
"We may. But you'll have to show me where the gold room is." He nodded, and we set off. We appeared at the familiar door quickly, and Boromir pushed it open. Finduilas sat there alone, holding the baby in her arms.
"Boromir!" she said delightedly. "Come see your little brother!" Boromir scampered over and leaned over the baby laughing at its funny looks. I approached them, loathe to disturb them.
"How are you feeling, my lady?" I asked.
"Very well, thank you. Boromir, this is Jané, who is going to look after you while I'm busy with Faramir." Boromir looked worried.
"I will still get to see you, right?" he asked, clutching his mother's arm.
"Of course. Jané will bring you to see me every day, and we shall talk."
"Do I still have to have lessons with the priests?" Boromir asked. Finduilas looked worried.
"Well, I could teach him to read and write, to dance and some stories. I don't know what else it is that he would learn." I offered. Finduilas gave a bright smile.
"Wonderful. All else he learns are war tactics and sword fighting, which Ian in the smithy teaches him. Boromir, you shall look to Jané if you have any troubles, and she will sort them out for you." Finduilas turned to me. "I'm giving you full power and responsibility over Boromir from now until you see fit to leave." She said.
"What about Lord Denethor?" I asked.
"The boys are under my jurisdiction until they are twelve." Finduilas said. "And I am passing jurisdiction over Boromir to you, at least until I am well enough to take on board responsibility for two boys!" she smiled fondly at both Boromir and Faramir. "Would you like to hold Faramir?" she asked Boromir, and he nodded slowly. He sat on the edge of the bed and cradled Faramir as though he was afraid Faramir would smash into a billion tiny pieces. The picture of the two boys made me smile.
The door opened, and Lord Denethor walked in, followed by the priest. Finduilas stiffened. "My lord." She said regally. Boromir looked stricken and I quickly took the baby from him and laid him in his cradle. Boromir stood behind me, and I could feel his small hands grasping the folds of my skirts.
"My lady, I see you are well again." The priest gave a horribly false smile, almost leering over her.
"Leave my presence and that of my sons and do not return." Finduilas ordered tightly.
"I am afraid it is only your presence I can leave, my lady." The priest sneered. "I teach Boromir his lessons, and shall have full custody of Boromir while you care for Faramir." Denethor stood silent by the door.
"No longer!" Finduilas snapped. "The Lady Jané now has full jurisdiction over Boromir, and will be teaching him all his lessons apart from sword and battle craft."
"Are you sure about this?" Denethor asked.
"She saved my life, and I have no doubt she shall show my son the same care. I want her to hold the same amount of authority as I do in this matter." Finduilas said with finality to her husband. She turned to the priest. "I thought I told you to leave." She said. The priest glared at me and left. Boromir's grip on my skirt relaxed somewhat.
"Very well. Lady Jané, you have full responsibility for my son and will pay the consequences if he is hurt." Denethor decreed. I curtsied.
"Of course, my lord."
"Very well. Have servants move your belongings to the upper eastern wing so you will be closer to Boromir if he needs you." Denethor nodded, and I left, Boromir trailing behind me, and waving slightly to his mother.
*&*
During the next week Boromir did no lessons, as we spent the time getting to know each other and redefining each other's meaning of fun. Boromir's original idea of fun was throwing mud balls at me, as is typical for five year olds. Mine, unsurprisingly, did not involve mud balls of any type, though neither did my idea of fun include long tedious sessions on manners, though I found that if I was incredibly polite, Boromir was too. I was hoping that if we kept up the politeness for long enough it would become habit.
We were visiting the stables one afternoon, something Boromir was rarely permitted to do, and I was showing him my horse, Enya, and how to feed her apples without losing a finger, when we were approached by a groom.
"What ye doin' down 'ere?" he asked. His step wavered and I could smell the alcohol on him from where I stood, metres away.
"Visiting my horse." I said calmly, pushing Boromir behind me. He was pretty much hidden behind my full skirt.
"Eh? I downt think so." He stumbled forward, and Enya walked quite calmly out of the stable, her halter rope snapped like a thread. She stood between the groom and myself, stamping her foot and snorting. He backed off, and Boromir and I left the stables, heading back towards the citadel. We came to the tops of the stairs, and found a white horse grazing on the green grassy area. I grasped Boromir's shoulder, as he would have run out and caught the horse, to prevent it from eating the grass.
"Boromir, no." I hissed. The horse looked up at regarded us through great liquid brown eyes. "Bow Boromir." I said softly. "For you stand in the presence of a prince of horses." He did, and I curtsied. And then , to our great surprise, the great white horse bent one knee and bowed back. Boromir laughed in delight.
"He is wonderful!" he crowed, clapping his hands. I smiled.
"Come along, Boromir, you need to get ready for dinner." I said. Boromir bowed again to the horse.
"Good evening, prince." He said. I curtsied again with a smile and then followed Boromir into the great hall. Denethor was there, talking to an old man dressed in grey.
"Father! Father! I bowed to this horse and he bowed back! Jané says he's a prince of horses, and told me to bow, so I did, and the horse bowed back!" Boromir cried, running ahead of me to stand breathless with excitement before his father.
"What nonsense is this, bowing to horses?" Denethor snapped. "You would have my son a flighty dreamer!" he snarled at me. Boromir backed up, into my legs, where I rested my hands on his shoulders.
"I am sure the horse outside was a prince of the Mearas." I said calmly. "And so a lord among horses. And would you not have your son bow to a lord of men, my lord? Why should a lord of horses be any less?" the old man turned to look at us.
"Gandalf!" Boromir cried. He grinned. "I am glad to see you."
"And you, little prince."
"My son shall not bow to horses!" Denethor cried.
"Be still, Steward of Gondor. Your son bowed to the chief of the Mearas, and has received the honour of Shadowfax bowing to him. The lady did right to encourage it." I curtsied. "And who might you be, my lady?" Gandalf asked.
"Lady Eldira Jané, my lord." I said politely. "From Rivendell."
"Ah, yes. You'll be Aragorn's sister then. Indeed, I should have realised sooner." He bowed to me.
"You know Aragorn?" I asked. Gandalf laughed.
"I know many people, Lady Jané." He said. "Not least among which is your brother." I smiled.
"If you will excuse us, my lords, the prince needs to get ready for dinner." Denethor waved us off, and I smiled again at Gandalf and guided Boromir out of the hall, while he babbled about how spectacular Gandalf's fireworks were.
*&*
Gandalf came and went, as did the years, and soon I found myself looking after two young boys, as their mother began to become more distant, and as the years past, I realised she was fading away, much as the elves did. Boromir and Faramir, who were nine and four at the time, could not understand this. Denethor was distant and moody with all, even his children, who wanted nothing more than to please him. They took to calling me auntie, which I suppose was a way of establishing a relative who was always there for them, unlike their father, who never had time, and their mother, who was rarely strong enough to have a decent conversation with her energetic children, though when I spoke with her alone in the evenings after the boys had been put to sleep and the lullaby they always asked for had been sung, she asked often after them, regretting that she had not the strength to play with them as she had when she was younger.
Denethor and I had arguments more and more often. With the fading of his wife, Denethor looked to me to run the household, which I did not object to. What I did object to was the lack of authority I had regarding the household which I ran. I was permitted to see a problem, but never to fix it.
It was one of these such arguments that resulted in my estrangement from the boys. I had argued about the power of the priests with Denethor and he had forbidden me to have anything more to do with his sons in future, and they had been told they were not to talk to me.
This freed up much of my time, though I missed the boys dearly, as they had become much beloved to me in the four years I had lived there.
I sat on the bench below the White Tree of Gondor, missing my charges and staring at the ground. I was beginning to feel the time had come for me to leave.
"Alone, without your charges? I can't imagine that happens often, Lady Jané." I looked up to see Gandalf standing before me. I stood and curtsied.
"Lord Denethor has forbidden me to see them, and the priests now have jurisdiction over them." I said bitterly.
"Now that will never do." Gandalf said, frowning. "Stay here, and I shall get this sorted out." He swept into the hall, and I stared at the mountains of Mordor. It seemed a dark cloud was brewing over Mordor. I was only forty seven by this point but I had seen enough of the world to see that that meant trouble. Just then Denethor came storming out of the citadel.
"You are to have full jurisdiction over Prince Boromir and Prince Faramir." He said sulkily. I curtsied deeply, hiding my glee. This meant I could get rid of those bloody priests and their influence on the princes.
I strode through the citadel to the princes' school rooms and swept in. the priests looked up from the lessons they were teaching the boys.
"You are forbidden to have anything to do with the boys." One said to me, coming forward.
"Actually, you are." I said regally. "I have full jurisdiction over both boys, and I am ordering you to stay away from them.permanently." I smiled sweetly, and after a moment's hesitation, the priests left. Both boys leapt up and hugged me, laughing.
"Now. Where were they?"
"Telling us how the Queens of Mordor invited the evil into Mordor." Boromir said promptly. I froze. Had the priests found out, or was it just a scary coincidence?
"Well, for a start, the Queens did not invite the evil into Mordor." I said, regaining my calm.
"They didn't?" Faramir asked. I was amazed he was even in this lesson, being only four.
"No. The Queens of Mordor left Mordor long before evil came."
"They abandoned it?" Boromir asked, sounding disgusted. "That wasn't very brave of them."
"No, Boromir." I said gently. "They didn't abandon it. Some men they considered friends came and hurt them, and took the throne for themselves. The Queens fled so they would not be killed. The men then invited the evil in."
"How do you know?" Boromir asked.
"Some of my people once came from Mordor." I said evasively, "A very long time ago."
"Ah." He said, satisfied.
*&*
The Lady Finduilas died the third of November, 2988 of the third age. There was a great funeral, and the whole city went into morning for the beautiful and caring woman. All wore black, as a sign of respect, and most of the Stewards household went veiled. I myself missed her terribly, though I had known that her death was inevitable. She had been able to bid her children farewell, though, even though it was probably that which speeded her death.
Gandalf came to the funeral, and stood around her tomb even as I sang the haunting, lilting melody of the Gondorian funeral. The boys stood on either side of me, holding my hands. a cold wind whipped around us, as winter tightened its grip on the grieving white city. Denethor looked on, impassive and distant as he always was, nowadays. I practically ran the household, and from there, the city, as Denethor grieved for his dead wife and for other sorrows no one but himself understood.
There was the funeral feast that evening, at which I sang the Anorondorian song of passing, which spoke more of the joy of everlasting life in a land of peace that the loss of a loved one.
"My Lady Jané." Gandalf said. I looked up at him through the black veil that was draped over my head and shoulders, and was kept in place by the gold circlet of Anorondor. I curtsied, my black skirts pooling on the floor as I did so.
"I would not have recognised you, apart from your voice and the funeral song you sang this night. I remember when the women of Anorondor sang for the passing of their Queen." Gandalf looked nostalgic. "Your people always had such a positive outlook on life. Speaking of the wonders of life after death instead of the sorrow of loss."
"We still do." I said quietly. Boromir came up to me and tugged my hand.
"Auntie Jané. Look. Faramir's fallen asleep over there." He pointed to the corner, where Faramir had fallen asleep among the dog beds.
"Oh, dearest." I murmured. I went over and gathered the five year old in my arms, and he murmured in his sleep and clung to me. I met Gandalf on my way to the door that led to the inner citadel.
"Here, give him to me." I looked up, and found a cloaked stranger beside me. But I recognised his voice, for all that he was cloaked.
"Who are you?" Boromir demanded.
"He's my brother." I said softly. I gave Faramir to Aragorn, and Aragorn followed me down the halls to the room where the boys slept. I opened the door, and Aragorn laid him on Faramir's bed, which I pointed out to him. I started pulling off Faramir's shoes, and laid my hand against his cheek, and he snuggled into it.
"Come Boromir. Get ready for bed." I said. It was later than I thought, the moon was well on its way across the clear night sky. He took off his shoes, then paused.
"I miss mother." He said. I turned to him, and swiftly hugged him.
"Oh my dearest." I murmured. Then I took his hand and led him to the window. Just as we approached, a shooting star arched across the sky.
"Look!" he said, pointing.
"That was from your mother, to say she'll always be looking after you, no matter what you do." I whispered in his ear. He nodded, and lifted my veil. He kissed my cheek, then turned to finish getting ready for bed. Aragorn stood in the doorway, framed in golden lamplight, his face in shadow. I tucked both boys in, and smiled at them. "Goodnight, my boys." I said softly.
"Sing about the two trees for us." Boromir said softly into the darkness. I smiled, and felt Aragorn take my hand. Then I began to sing.
*&*
"Absolutely no! Not a chance!" Denethor shouted at me. I refused to back down.
"Faramir is a child!" I protested. "How can you expect a six year old to wield a sword?"
"The same way Boromir did, when he was six." Denethor cried. "Beware your station, Lady Jané, you are their caretaker, not their mother!"
*&*
This was the first of many such arguments, until finally, at Boromir's urging, I left Gondor, and the boys. Boromir had promised to love and care for his brother, even as I couldn't. I was furious at both Denethor and myself. Boromir had begged me to leave, that I would not be banished forever from returning to them. I had followed his wishes, albeit reluctantly. Temporary separation from the two boys I almost thought of as my sons was better than permanent separation. And so I departed from Gondor, the heavy pain of loss weighing down my heart.
He looked up as I hurried in. he hurriedly stood.
"Are you here to help mother?" he asked softly. I suddenly realised this was why I had been so anxious to get here.
"What's wrong with her?" I asked.
"They said she was going to have a baby, but then the priests said she was going to die."
"Take me to her. I might be able to save her life." I said quickly. He grabbed my hand, and ran down the corridors, and I followed him at a run. We came to a door and he nodded.
"She's in there, but I'm not allowed to go in." I nodded and stood straight, and tucked my hair behind my ears.
"Right. Go find the midwives. Ask the women that have been helping your mother while she's been ill. Run! We might be able to save her yet." The little boy ran off, and I drew a deep breath, and opened the door.
*&*
The room was full of smoke and priests. It was dark, hot and smelly. One of them turned to me.
"How dare you interrupt the sacred ritual?" he hissed.
"This is a birthing room, not a funeral!" I shouted. "Get out! All of you, out!" the priests turned.
"We have Lord Denethor's blessing to be here." One said.
"And so do I." I claimed. "He told me to help his wife and help her I will. Now get out!" I shouted. I upended their incense and stamped out the embers, then physically pushed the priests out the door the little boy was holding open. Just outside were three surprised looking women. The priests were looking reluctant to leave. "If you do not leave now, Lord Denethor will have you all executed, charged with the murder of his wife and unborn child! Now GET OUT!" I had been bluffing, of course, but by the way the priests moved after I said that, it seemed there might have been a chance of that after all.
I ushered the women in quickly, and they began fussing over the pregnant woman. I turned to the little boy.
"What's your name?" I asked.
"I am Prince Boromir." He said, with a little bow. I curtsied.
"Well, my prince, I think that you should go and amuse yourself for a while. I'm going to be caring for your mother for the next few hours, and you don't want to get in the way, do you?" I asked gently. He shook his head vehemently. "Good. Off you go then, lad, and I'll see if I can save your mother." He scurried off, and I shut the door and locked it. The women looked at me dumbly.
"Get the fire going!" I exclaimed. "I want hot water, lots of it!" the women scurried to do as they were told. "I opened the big windows on the far side of the room, and a cool, pre-storm breeze blew through the room, making the gauzy white curtains billow. I quickly tied them in knots so they wouldn't get in the way. "Get me a big silver basin," I ordered, "big enough to wash a baby in." another woman hurried off. I filled a small bowl with hot water and sprinkled Athelas in it. It filled the room with a clean smell. Then I came to the woman.
"My lady." I curtsied, even as I felt her head for a temperature. The silver basin arrived, and I set it outside where rain was now falling heavily. The basin immediately began to fill with the clean fresh water.
"Thank you." She gasped out. I touched her stomach. The contractions were coming fast and hard, and by the feel of it, the baby was the wrong way up. I gently kneaded her swollen belly, until he was the right way around. Then I hauled the woman up.
"You!" I called to one of the serving women. "Help me walk her." We walked the lady up and down the room beside the open windows, and I learnt that she was the Lady Finduilas, the wife of Lord Denethor, Steward of Gondor. This was her second child, the first being Prince Boromir, who I had met earlier, who was now five. Eventually she could walk no more, and we laid her on the bed, where she lay and gripped my hand as the contractions flowed through her.
*&*
The pregnancy was a long one, not that I have lots of experience. But the baby was born early the following morning, after much tears, sweat and effort. It was a perfect baby boy. I tied off the umbilical cord, and cut it. I had the women bring in the basin of rainwater, and I knelt beside it and washed the crying baby in the cold water, murmuring the traditional blessings and charms that had been said in Mordor for centuries before the men took the throne. Then I wrapped the baby in a blanket and brought it to the Lady Finduilas.
"Take it to my husband. Present him with his son, Prince Faramir." She gasped out. I nodded, and took off the soiled tunic that went over my dress so I was left in the plain blue dress I had been wearing all night. I picked up the little prince, and carried him to the main hall, where Denethor was speaking with guests. He was also, I noticed, speaking with the priests, and looking worried.
I knocked loudly on the side door as I entered, and all attention turned to me. I walked slowly up the hall as the crowds split before me.
"My Lord!" I said in a loud voice. "The Lady Finduilas wishes me to present to you your son, Faramir." I reached the Steward, and dipped a curtsey, even as I held onto the baby, who did not cry as he had in the birthing room, but looked around curiously.
The Steward took the baby from me, and raised him into the air. "This is my son, the Prince Faramir, and I accept him as mine own, and of the line of the Stewards of Gondor!" the room burst into applause, and I was suddenly proud of the world I lived in, and the people with which I inhabited it.
He handed baby Faramir back to me and nodded, a clear dismissal. As I walked back down the halls, cradling the now crying Faramir in my arms, I revelled in the bright morning sunlight which streamed through the windows. I walked back into the birthing room and was immediately stunned by the darkness of the room.
Lady Finduilas lay on the soiled bed, looking anxious. I handed Faramir back to her, and she accepted him gladly.
"Did he.?"
"Accepted him before witnesses." I said with a smile. She gave a great sigh of relief.
"Oh good." She began to croon over her baby, and when he began to cry, she held him to her breast and he began to feed.
I turned to one of the women. "Has the after birth passed yet?" I asked. She nodded. "Good. Now, I want you to find me a large airy room, with big windows. I want it to be clean and bright for the Lady Finduilas."
"There's the gold room in the east wing." She offered.
"Is it close?" I asked, she nodded. "Show me."
She led me to the 'gold room' which was perfect. It was a big wood panelled room which caught the light of the rising sun and made the room seem golden. There was a big white four-poster bed in the corner, and a clean fireplace in the wall. White gauze curtains hung over the floor-to- ceiling windows, and from the canopy of the four poster.
"It's good. I want to get the Lady Finduilas bathed, clean, and then in here, which is a much better room than the one she's in."
*&*
Back in the birthing room, I spoke to the Lady Finduilas.
"My lady, I would like to move you to a much better and cleaner room, where you and Prince Faramir can rest." I said. She smiled at me.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"I am the Lady Jané, from Rivendell. I arrived last night and heard of your trouble and came to help. I hope I did not take any liberties." To be honest, I didn't care one way or the other, but it never hurt to be polite.
"Of course not! I am the Lady Finduilas, though you may just call me Finduilas. I owe you my life."
"If I am to call you Finduilas, then please call me Jané. If the young prince is finished, we can get you bathed and changed, and then I would like to move you to the.gold room, is it? There you and Faramir can rest in much more pleasant surroundings." Finduilas handed the baby to me, and I passed him to one of the women. She sat up, rather unsteadily, and I had one of the women support her while I gently washed her clean of the blood of childbirth, and then helped her into the clean night dress one of the women handed me. I brushed her hair, and pulled it back into a simple plait down her back. She was a beautiful woman once the grime of childbirth had been washed away.
*&*
We moved to the gold room, and I sat by her bed and we talked while Faramir slept.
"The priests were going to kill me, I know it." Finduilas exclaimed.
"I know, my lady. And I expect your lord wont be too pleased with me - I forcibly made them leave."
"I am his wife. And you are now formally under my protection, which he cannot go against without my permission."
"Thank you." I said.
"There is only one thing I am worried about." She said.
"What is it?"
"My other son, Boromir. Now that I am busy with Faramir, Boromir's upkeep will be left to the priests, who I do not trust. Could I ask you perhaps to watch over him, care for him while I am with Faramir. I would not ask, except I feel I can trust you, and Boromir needs someone who will hug him instead of command him." I smiled.
"I would be honoured to care for the prince Boromir." I said with a smile.
"Wonderful." She said with a smile, and then she slipped into a deep sleep.
I loosed the curtains so the morning light was not so harsh on the sleeping Lady, and the stoked the fire so that it would be safe, yet warm in the room. I checked on the sleeping Faramir, who lay in a beautiful beech cradle carved with the White Tree of Gondor on the head and foot boards. Then I slipped out of the room, and found myself face to face with the Steward of Gondor, the young Prince Boromir at his side. I sank into a deep curtsey, my head bowed, which brought me to Boromir's eye level. I winked, and then slowly rose.
"My lord." I said.
"Who are you, and how came you here?" the Steward demanded.
"My lord, please. Your wife is sleeping, and I would not wake her." I cautioned.
"Indeed. Follow me." He swept away, the prince trotting at his side like a pet dog. I followed, and found myself in the main hall.
"Now, Who are you, and how came you here?" he asked again.
"I am the Lady Eldira Jané, and I come from just about everywhere, though I grew up in Imladris with Lord Elrond as my guardian. I originally intended simply to visit Gondor, because I have never been here before, but when I heard of the Lady's troubles, I thought I could help."
"The priests say you cast a curse upon her." Denethor intoned, and I could suddenly see the dark robed priest in the background.
"I cast no curse, for I know none. It is the priests who would kill her with their incense."
"It is holy." The priest said, taking a step forward.
"Not in a birthroom. The Lady thanked me herself for saving her life and put me under her protection." The priest halted, and Denethor frowned.
"This is true?" he demanded.
"As true as your new-born son." I said.
"You said it would be still-born!" Denethor accused the priest.
"The birth was difficult, as the baby was the wrong way around. I turned the baby around, and then the birth continued as expected." I said quickly.
"May I see mother?" Boromir asked.
"Not now, little one. She has been working hard all night, and she is very tired." I said softly. He nodded.
"You will, of course, need quarters. Shend! Show the Lady Eldira to some quarters." A dark-robed servant came out of the shadows and guided me to a set of rooms, and my saddlebags soon arrived. A servant appeared with a bath and then disappeared, so I quickly washed myself and put on a clean dress and redid my hair so I did not look such a mess as before. There was a very small, quiet knock on the door, and I opened it to find Boromir standing there, looking quite nervous.
"Can we go see her now? Only I don't want to talk, just see if she's alright." He babbled. I smiled and took his tiny hand.
"We may. But you'll have to show me where the gold room is." He nodded, and we set off. We appeared at the familiar door quickly, and Boromir pushed it open. Finduilas sat there alone, holding the baby in her arms.
"Boromir!" she said delightedly. "Come see your little brother!" Boromir scampered over and leaned over the baby laughing at its funny looks. I approached them, loathe to disturb them.
"How are you feeling, my lady?" I asked.
"Very well, thank you. Boromir, this is Jané, who is going to look after you while I'm busy with Faramir." Boromir looked worried.
"I will still get to see you, right?" he asked, clutching his mother's arm.
"Of course. Jané will bring you to see me every day, and we shall talk."
"Do I still have to have lessons with the priests?" Boromir asked. Finduilas looked worried.
"Well, I could teach him to read and write, to dance and some stories. I don't know what else it is that he would learn." I offered. Finduilas gave a bright smile.
"Wonderful. All else he learns are war tactics and sword fighting, which Ian in the smithy teaches him. Boromir, you shall look to Jané if you have any troubles, and she will sort them out for you." Finduilas turned to me. "I'm giving you full power and responsibility over Boromir from now until you see fit to leave." She said.
"What about Lord Denethor?" I asked.
"The boys are under my jurisdiction until they are twelve." Finduilas said. "And I am passing jurisdiction over Boromir to you, at least until I am well enough to take on board responsibility for two boys!" she smiled fondly at both Boromir and Faramir. "Would you like to hold Faramir?" she asked Boromir, and he nodded slowly. He sat on the edge of the bed and cradled Faramir as though he was afraid Faramir would smash into a billion tiny pieces. The picture of the two boys made me smile.
The door opened, and Lord Denethor walked in, followed by the priest. Finduilas stiffened. "My lord." She said regally. Boromir looked stricken and I quickly took the baby from him and laid him in his cradle. Boromir stood behind me, and I could feel his small hands grasping the folds of my skirts.
"My lady, I see you are well again." The priest gave a horribly false smile, almost leering over her.
"Leave my presence and that of my sons and do not return." Finduilas ordered tightly.
"I am afraid it is only your presence I can leave, my lady." The priest sneered. "I teach Boromir his lessons, and shall have full custody of Boromir while you care for Faramir." Denethor stood silent by the door.
"No longer!" Finduilas snapped. "The Lady Jané now has full jurisdiction over Boromir, and will be teaching him all his lessons apart from sword and battle craft."
"Are you sure about this?" Denethor asked.
"She saved my life, and I have no doubt she shall show my son the same care. I want her to hold the same amount of authority as I do in this matter." Finduilas said with finality to her husband. She turned to the priest. "I thought I told you to leave." She said. The priest glared at me and left. Boromir's grip on my skirt relaxed somewhat.
"Very well. Lady Jané, you have full responsibility for my son and will pay the consequences if he is hurt." Denethor decreed. I curtsied.
"Of course, my lord."
"Very well. Have servants move your belongings to the upper eastern wing so you will be closer to Boromir if he needs you." Denethor nodded, and I left, Boromir trailing behind me, and waving slightly to his mother.
*&*
During the next week Boromir did no lessons, as we spent the time getting to know each other and redefining each other's meaning of fun. Boromir's original idea of fun was throwing mud balls at me, as is typical for five year olds. Mine, unsurprisingly, did not involve mud balls of any type, though neither did my idea of fun include long tedious sessions on manners, though I found that if I was incredibly polite, Boromir was too. I was hoping that if we kept up the politeness for long enough it would become habit.
We were visiting the stables one afternoon, something Boromir was rarely permitted to do, and I was showing him my horse, Enya, and how to feed her apples without losing a finger, when we were approached by a groom.
"What ye doin' down 'ere?" he asked. His step wavered and I could smell the alcohol on him from where I stood, metres away.
"Visiting my horse." I said calmly, pushing Boromir behind me. He was pretty much hidden behind my full skirt.
"Eh? I downt think so." He stumbled forward, and Enya walked quite calmly out of the stable, her halter rope snapped like a thread. She stood between the groom and myself, stamping her foot and snorting. He backed off, and Boromir and I left the stables, heading back towards the citadel. We came to the tops of the stairs, and found a white horse grazing on the green grassy area. I grasped Boromir's shoulder, as he would have run out and caught the horse, to prevent it from eating the grass.
"Boromir, no." I hissed. The horse looked up at regarded us through great liquid brown eyes. "Bow Boromir." I said softly. "For you stand in the presence of a prince of horses." He did, and I curtsied. And then , to our great surprise, the great white horse bent one knee and bowed back. Boromir laughed in delight.
"He is wonderful!" he crowed, clapping his hands. I smiled.
"Come along, Boromir, you need to get ready for dinner." I said. Boromir bowed again to the horse.
"Good evening, prince." He said. I curtsied again with a smile and then followed Boromir into the great hall. Denethor was there, talking to an old man dressed in grey.
"Father! Father! I bowed to this horse and he bowed back! Jané says he's a prince of horses, and told me to bow, so I did, and the horse bowed back!" Boromir cried, running ahead of me to stand breathless with excitement before his father.
"What nonsense is this, bowing to horses?" Denethor snapped. "You would have my son a flighty dreamer!" he snarled at me. Boromir backed up, into my legs, where I rested my hands on his shoulders.
"I am sure the horse outside was a prince of the Mearas." I said calmly. "And so a lord among horses. And would you not have your son bow to a lord of men, my lord? Why should a lord of horses be any less?" the old man turned to look at us.
"Gandalf!" Boromir cried. He grinned. "I am glad to see you."
"And you, little prince."
"My son shall not bow to horses!" Denethor cried.
"Be still, Steward of Gondor. Your son bowed to the chief of the Mearas, and has received the honour of Shadowfax bowing to him. The lady did right to encourage it." I curtsied. "And who might you be, my lady?" Gandalf asked.
"Lady Eldira Jané, my lord." I said politely. "From Rivendell."
"Ah, yes. You'll be Aragorn's sister then. Indeed, I should have realised sooner." He bowed to me.
"You know Aragorn?" I asked. Gandalf laughed.
"I know many people, Lady Jané." He said. "Not least among which is your brother." I smiled.
"If you will excuse us, my lords, the prince needs to get ready for dinner." Denethor waved us off, and I smiled again at Gandalf and guided Boromir out of the hall, while he babbled about how spectacular Gandalf's fireworks were.
*&*
Gandalf came and went, as did the years, and soon I found myself looking after two young boys, as their mother began to become more distant, and as the years past, I realised she was fading away, much as the elves did. Boromir and Faramir, who were nine and four at the time, could not understand this. Denethor was distant and moody with all, even his children, who wanted nothing more than to please him. They took to calling me auntie, which I suppose was a way of establishing a relative who was always there for them, unlike their father, who never had time, and their mother, who was rarely strong enough to have a decent conversation with her energetic children, though when I spoke with her alone in the evenings after the boys had been put to sleep and the lullaby they always asked for had been sung, she asked often after them, regretting that she had not the strength to play with them as she had when she was younger.
Denethor and I had arguments more and more often. With the fading of his wife, Denethor looked to me to run the household, which I did not object to. What I did object to was the lack of authority I had regarding the household which I ran. I was permitted to see a problem, but never to fix it.
It was one of these such arguments that resulted in my estrangement from the boys. I had argued about the power of the priests with Denethor and he had forbidden me to have anything more to do with his sons in future, and they had been told they were not to talk to me.
This freed up much of my time, though I missed the boys dearly, as they had become much beloved to me in the four years I had lived there.
I sat on the bench below the White Tree of Gondor, missing my charges and staring at the ground. I was beginning to feel the time had come for me to leave.
"Alone, without your charges? I can't imagine that happens often, Lady Jané." I looked up to see Gandalf standing before me. I stood and curtsied.
"Lord Denethor has forbidden me to see them, and the priests now have jurisdiction over them." I said bitterly.
"Now that will never do." Gandalf said, frowning. "Stay here, and I shall get this sorted out." He swept into the hall, and I stared at the mountains of Mordor. It seemed a dark cloud was brewing over Mordor. I was only forty seven by this point but I had seen enough of the world to see that that meant trouble. Just then Denethor came storming out of the citadel.
"You are to have full jurisdiction over Prince Boromir and Prince Faramir." He said sulkily. I curtsied deeply, hiding my glee. This meant I could get rid of those bloody priests and their influence on the princes.
I strode through the citadel to the princes' school rooms and swept in. the priests looked up from the lessons they were teaching the boys.
"You are forbidden to have anything to do with the boys." One said to me, coming forward.
"Actually, you are." I said regally. "I have full jurisdiction over both boys, and I am ordering you to stay away from them.permanently." I smiled sweetly, and after a moment's hesitation, the priests left. Both boys leapt up and hugged me, laughing.
"Now. Where were they?"
"Telling us how the Queens of Mordor invited the evil into Mordor." Boromir said promptly. I froze. Had the priests found out, or was it just a scary coincidence?
"Well, for a start, the Queens did not invite the evil into Mordor." I said, regaining my calm.
"They didn't?" Faramir asked. I was amazed he was even in this lesson, being only four.
"No. The Queens of Mordor left Mordor long before evil came."
"They abandoned it?" Boromir asked, sounding disgusted. "That wasn't very brave of them."
"No, Boromir." I said gently. "They didn't abandon it. Some men they considered friends came and hurt them, and took the throne for themselves. The Queens fled so they would not be killed. The men then invited the evil in."
"How do you know?" Boromir asked.
"Some of my people once came from Mordor." I said evasively, "A very long time ago."
"Ah." He said, satisfied.
*&*
The Lady Finduilas died the third of November, 2988 of the third age. There was a great funeral, and the whole city went into morning for the beautiful and caring woman. All wore black, as a sign of respect, and most of the Stewards household went veiled. I myself missed her terribly, though I had known that her death was inevitable. She had been able to bid her children farewell, though, even though it was probably that which speeded her death.
Gandalf came to the funeral, and stood around her tomb even as I sang the haunting, lilting melody of the Gondorian funeral. The boys stood on either side of me, holding my hands. a cold wind whipped around us, as winter tightened its grip on the grieving white city. Denethor looked on, impassive and distant as he always was, nowadays. I practically ran the household, and from there, the city, as Denethor grieved for his dead wife and for other sorrows no one but himself understood.
There was the funeral feast that evening, at which I sang the Anorondorian song of passing, which spoke more of the joy of everlasting life in a land of peace that the loss of a loved one.
"My Lady Jané." Gandalf said. I looked up at him through the black veil that was draped over my head and shoulders, and was kept in place by the gold circlet of Anorondor. I curtsied, my black skirts pooling on the floor as I did so.
"I would not have recognised you, apart from your voice and the funeral song you sang this night. I remember when the women of Anorondor sang for the passing of their Queen." Gandalf looked nostalgic. "Your people always had such a positive outlook on life. Speaking of the wonders of life after death instead of the sorrow of loss."
"We still do." I said quietly. Boromir came up to me and tugged my hand.
"Auntie Jané. Look. Faramir's fallen asleep over there." He pointed to the corner, where Faramir had fallen asleep among the dog beds.
"Oh, dearest." I murmured. I went over and gathered the five year old in my arms, and he murmured in his sleep and clung to me. I met Gandalf on my way to the door that led to the inner citadel.
"Here, give him to me." I looked up, and found a cloaked stranger beside me. But I recognised his voice, for all that he was cloaked.
"Who are you?" Boromir demanded.
"He's my brother." I said softly. I gave Faramir to Aragorn, and Aragorn followed me down the halls to the room where the boys slept. I opened the door, and Aragorn laid him on Faramir's bed, which I pointed out to him. I started pulling off Faramir's shoes, and laid my hand against his cheek, and he snuggled into it.
"Come Boromir. Get ready for bed." I said. It was later than I thought, the moon was well on its way across the clear night sky. He took off his shoes, then paused.
"I miss mother." He said. I turned to him, and swiftly hugged him.
"Oh my dearest." I murmured. Then I took his hand and led him to the window. Just as we approached, a shooting star arched across the sky.
"Look!" he said, pointing.
"That was from your mother, to say she'll always be looking after you, no matter what you do." I whispered in his ear. He nodded, and lifted my veil. He kissed my cheek, then turned to finish getting ready for bed. Aragorn stood in the doorway, framed in golden lamplight, his face in shadow. I tucked both boys in, and smiled at them. "Goodnight, my boys." I said softly.
"Sing about the two trees for us." Boromir said softly into the darkness. I smiled, and felt Aragorn take my hand. Then I began to sing.
*&*
"Absolutely no! Not a chance!" Denethor shouted at me. I refused to back down.
"Faramir is a child!" I protested. "How can you expect a six year old to wield a sword?"
"The same way Boromir did, when he was six." Denethor cried. "Beware your station, Lady Jané, you are their caretaker, not their mother!"
*&*
This was the first of many such arguments, until finally, at Boromir's urging, I left Gondor, and the boys. Boromir had promised to love and care for his brother, even as I couldn't. I was furious at both Denethor and myself. Boromir had begged me to leave, that I would not be banished forever from returning to them. I had followed his wishes, albeit reluctantly. Temporary separation from the two boys I almost thought of as my sons was better than permanent separation. And so I departed from Gondor, the heavy pain of loss weighing down my heart.