Flower of Gondor
~
"What is going on here?" Gilomen stepped into the tavern and saw the tables and chairs all askew and the people lying randomly on the floor, one man lying on a mixture of blood and ale.
"They started insulting us and a fight broke out." The foremost soldier answered.
"Is that man okay?" Gilomen stepped towards the woman's husband.
"Uh, we aren't sure yet." The soldier lied.
"He's dead! He's dead!" The woman stepped towards Gilomen and accused the soldier.
"Is this true?" Theodred stepped forward to see the man better. The soldier knelt down and felt for a pulse.
"His heart isn't beating." The soldier said.
"Well, that's lovely. We are here to better the relations between our lands and you kill a man and beat his wife!" Gilomen screamed at the soldier.
"Gilomen, calm down. We can fix this before anyone knows about it at all." Theodred answered quickly. There were a few mumbles from the Rohirrim and Theodred looked up to see civilians looking in the windows and quite a few people standing in the doorway looking on from the other half of the tavern.
"What are you going to do? Kill all them too?" Gilomen asked sarcastically.
"Go ahead, it will only add more faults to your record and someone is on the way now to the Steward to let him know of this misfortune." A man smiled from the doorway.
"Come on men." Gilomen instructed and the Rohirrim followed him out of the tavern leaving the women to mourn over her dead husband and the people to clean the mess that had been made.
~
"My lord! My lord! An urgent message from the people!" An attendant ran into the great hall were Denethor was accepting visitors for a while.
"What is it?" Denethor waved the attendant up to him.
The attendant leaned towards Denethor and whispered in his ear, "A civilian had been murdered by the Rohirrim in a tavern brawl, a woman beaten, another man beaten, and the barkeep knocked unconscious." The attendant relied the news.
"Get some guards there immediately to take care of this, bring the woman to the hall and the other two men, also some of those who saw the incident, let no one leave the city this night, especially the Rohirrim! I want those Rohirrim brought to me, immediately!" Denethor swiftly ordered, Denethor prized the happiness of his people because it meant an easier rule for him and his heirs, the people must be cared for.
The attendant nodded and rushed back out the door, "Please, visitation is over for this night, I will accept visitors again on the morrow at the same time, an urgency has occurred." Denethor announced to the lords and ladies that awaited his audience.
~
"Ciara! Ciara!" Eomer ran into Ciara's room out of breath and with tears streaming down his face.
"What is it my little Eomer that has made you so upset?" Ciara caught Eomer in her arms and held him to her.
"I just heard!" Eomer bawled into Ciara's shoulder.
"Heard what?" Ciara patted Eomer's back in an attempt to calm him.
"One of the Rohirrim has done something bad. They killed a man!" Eomer whispered as he tried to stop his crying.
"They what?!" Ciara couldn't believe what she just heard. The sound of feet rushing down the hall called Ciara's attention to the door. She ran and stood in the door watching as Boromir and Faramir rushed past with an attendant, neither said anything to her but ran by.
"What-"Ciara started but stopped as they ran by in silent fury.
"Denethor has called the Rohirrim to a meeting, let's go listen!" Eomer sniffed.
"We can't. Oh but how I want to." Ciara bit her lip and turned to face Eomer.
"Why not? No one will have to know!" Eomer smiled.
"Oh, come on! Let's go!" Ciara flew out the door with Eomer close behind.
The two ran down the hall and stopped at the corner before Denethor's study. The door just shut as they ran up and immediately voices could be heard inside. Ciara and Eomer edged closer to the door so they could hear more clearly.
"Explain yourselves immediately!" Denethor commanded from inside.
"I'll let my men who were in the tavern and fully responsible for this event to explain to not only you but to myself as well. I would like to say now that myself and my most trusted friend Gilomen were not involved nor aware of the events that have happened and the men did not have our consent to be out at all." Theodred stepped forward to save himself from being blamed for this.
"Maybe you should learn to better the obedience of you men." Denethor's advisor snapped.
"The men and I were sitting in the tavern, enjoying your very expertly brewed ale when a woman walked by and said something very rude indeed to one of my men and her husband and friends started to laugh and-"
"Untrue, my lord!" One of the witnesses called out.
"That's all wrong!" Another interjected.
"Let him finish and you can have your part." The advisor said nicely to the people.
"So my man suggested to her that she should return to her friends as we were just visiting and trying to be friendly and not cause problems and then she insulted him again and her husband came forward and after that I can't remember much except that a fight followed." The head of the Rohirrim told his version of the story.
"That is a lie!" The same man as before called out.
"Please tell us what you two saw." The advisor turned to the witnesses. The two men told the story nearly exactly as it had happened in the tavern down to nearly every detail and included the part where the lead Rohirrim was going to let the men have their way with the woman.
Denethor and the advisor sat in silence, the two men had a much more believable story than the Rohirrim. "Let the woman speak now." Denethor sighed.
An attendant led the woman forward who had been sitting silently in the back of the room. The woman still had tears running down her face but now bruises were starting to form and the blood from her mouth had dried and caked onto her chin and dried into her dress, she looked like she had had a harsh beating.
"My lady, state your name please." The advisor stepped towards the woman.
"Arianna. I'm a mid-wife in the town." The woman sniffed.
"You beat a mid-wife and killed her husband?" Denethor gave the Rohirrim very harsh looks, "I want your men to leave my lands immediately tonight. I do not want any of them to ever come near Gondorian lands again. As for you two, you two will stay and we will have council." Denethor commanded.
Ciara and Eomer ran away from the door and back to their safe place around the corner and for good reason, as soon as they resumed hiding the Rohirrim burst through the doorway and marched towards their rooms to prepare for their journey.
"Dirty Gondorian bastards." One of the Rohirrim snarled as he left the room.
"I heard that! You are all Rohan rot! May your land lay in perpetual waste and demise!" One of the witnesses called to the soldier.
"Watch your tongue sir, do not insult the realm of Rohan in front of me ever again!" Theodred had drawn his sword and had it held at the man's stomach.
"Do not presume that you have to right to threaten a man of my court in my house." Denethor said warningly to Theodred.
"No matter who's court I'm in, no one has the right to insult the land of my mother." Theodred replied back and reluctantly lowered his sword.
"I will say as I wish in my own court do not try to counsel me in the ways of a lord in mine own house, I have let your men off easy but I will not be generous again." Denethor stood up and stared harshly at Theodred.
"I do not begin to think that you will show your mercy again." Theodred replied curtly.
"Watch what you say to our father or you will find yourself at the mercy of my sword." Boromir stepped forward, sword unsheathed and anger in his eyes.
Ciara and Eomer could now see into the after the door had been left open and saw the whole scene unfold before them. Ciara held her breath when Boromir stepped forward and Eomer was holding onto Ciara's belt tightly in anticipation.
"Things do not bode well for Rohan and Gondor right now." Denethor stated to the room in a warning.
"Hand over your daughter and Rohan will look upon Gondor as a brother." Theodred suggested though his sword was still drawn.
"Your land is not fit for the beauty and the grace of Lady Ciara. Take your men and yourself and return to your forlorn land. Let it be known from now on that Rohan and Gondor are not brothers in bond or war and look for no aid here." Denethor sneered at Theodred and Gilomen.
"Let it be known." Theodred sneered back and left the room, sword still drawn.
"I must go!" Eomer whispered to Ciara and started running down the hall but stopped half-way and looked back at Ciara. He ran back to her and both wrapped their arms around each other in a loving hug, "I will miss your Ciara."
"Little Eomer, my heart aches at our parting, never forget me." Ciara kissed Eomer lightly on the brow and Eomer smiled sadly as a single tear gave away the braveness he tried to show in his face.
"Hopefully we will meet in better times." Eomer said and ran before more tears could fall. Ciara watched his little figure retreat down the hall and returned to her own room to watch the Rohirrim depart.
~
~
"What is going on here?" Gilomen stepped into the tavern and saw the tables and chairs all askew and the people lying randomly on the floor, one man lying on a mixture of blood and ale.
"They started insulting us and a fight broke out." The foremost soldier answered.
"Is that man okay?" Gilomen stepped towards the woman's husband.
"Uh, we aren't sure yet." The soldier lied.
"He's dead! He's dead!" The woman stepped towards Gilomen and accused the soldier.
"Is this true?" Theodred stepped forward to see the man better. The soldier knelt down and felt for a pulse.
"His heart isn't beating." The soldier said.
"Well, that's lovely. We are here to better the relations between our lands and you kill a man and beat his wife!" Gilomen screamed at the soldier.
"Gilomen, calm down. We can fix this before anyone knows about it at all." Theodred answered quickly. There were a few mumbles from the Rohirrim and Theodred looked up to see civilians looking in the windows and quite a few people standing in the doorway looking on from the other half of the tavern.
"What are you going to do? Kill all them too?" Gilomen asked sarcastically.
"Go ahead, it will only add more faults to your record and someone is on the way now to the Steward to let him know of this misfortune." A man smiled from the doorway.
"Come on men." Gilomen instructed and the Rohirrim followed him out of the tavern leaving the women to mourn over her dead husband and the people to clean the mess that had been made.
~
"My lord! My lord! An urgent message from the people!" An attendant ran into the great hall were Denethor was accepting visitors for a while.
"What is it?" Denethor waved the attendant up to him.
The attendant leaned towards Denethor and whispered in his ear, "A civilian had been murdered by the Rohirrim in a tavern brawl, a woman beaten, another man beaten, and the barkeep knocked unconscious." The attendant relied the news.
"Get some guards there immediately to take care of this, bring the woman to the hall and the other two men, also some of those who saw the incident, let no one leave the city this night, especially the Rohirrim! I want those Rohirrim brought to me, immediately!" Denethor swiftly ordered, Denethor prized the happiness of his people because it meant an easier rule for him and his heirs, the people must be cared for.
The attendant nodded and rushed back out the door, "Please, visitation is over for this night, I will accept visitors again on the morrow at the same time, an urgency has occurred." Denethor announced to the lords and ladies that awaited his audience.
~
"Ciara! Ciara!" Eomer ran into Ciara's room out of breath and with tears streaming down his face.
"What is it my little Eomer that has made you so upset?" Ciara caught Eomer in her arms and held him to her.
"I just heard!" Eomer bawled into Ciara's shoulder.
"Heard what?" Ciara patted Eomer's back in an attempt to calm him.
"One of the Rohirrim has done something bad. They killed a man!" Eomer whispered as he tried to stop his crying.
"They what?!" Ciara couldn't believe what she just heard. The sound of feet rushing down the hall called Ciara's attention to the door. She ran and stood in the door watching as Boromir and Faramir rushed past with an attendant, neither said anything to her but ran by.
"What-"Ciara started but stopped as they ran by in silent fury.
"Denethor has called the Rohirrim to a meeting, let's go listen!" Eomer sniffed.
"We can't. Oh but how I want to." Ciara bit her lip and turned to face Eomer.
"Why not? No one will have to know!" Eomer smiled.
"Oh, come on! Let's go!" Ciara flew out the door with Eomer close behind.
The two ran down the hall and stopped at the corner before Denethor's study. The door just shut as they ran up and immediately voices could be heard inside. Ciara and Eomer edged closer to the door so they could hear more clearly.
"Explain yourselves immediately!" Denethor commanded from inside.
"I'll let my men who were in the tavern and fully responsible for this event to explain to not only you but to myself as well. I would like to say now that myself and my most trusted friend Gilomen were not involved nor aware of the events that have happened and the men did not have our consent to be out at all." Theodred stepped forward to save himself from being blamed for this.
"Maybe you should learn to better the obedience of you men." Denethor's advisor snapped.
"The men and I were sitting in the tavern, enjoying your very expertly brewed ale when a woman walked by and said something very rude indeed to one of my men and her husband and friends started to laugh and-"
"Untrue, my lord!" One of the witnesses called out.
"That's all wrong!" Another interjected.
"Let him finish and you can have your part." The advisor said nicely to the people.
"So my man suggested to her that she should return to her friends as we were just visiting and trying to be friendly and not cause problems and then she insulted him again and her husband came forward and after that I can't remember much except that a fight followed." The head of the Rohirrim told his version of the story.
"That is a lie!" The same man as before called out.
"Please tell us what you two saw." The advisor turned to the witnesses. The two men told the story nearly exactly as it had happened in the tavern down to nearly every detail and included the part where the lead Rohirrim was going to let the men have their way with the woman.
Denethor and the advisor sat in silence, the two men had a much more believable story than the Rohirrim. "Let the woman speak now." Denethor sighed.
An attendant led the woman forward who had been sitting silently in the back of the room. The woman still had tears running down her face but now bruises were starting to form and the blood from her mouth had dried and caked onto her chin and dried into her dress, she looked like she had had a harsh beating.
"My lady, state your name please." The advisor stepped towards the woman.
"Arianna. I'm a mid-wife in the town." The woman sniffed.
"You beat a mid-wife and killed her husband?" Denethor gave the Rohirrim very harsh looks, "I want your men to leave my lands immediately tonight. I do not want any of them to ever come near Gondorian lands again. As for you two, you two will stay and we will have council." Denethor commanded.
Ciara and Eomer ran away from the door and back to their safe place around the corner and for good reason, as soon as they resumed hiding the Rohirrim burst through the doorway and marched towards their rooms to prepare for their journey.
"Dirty Gondorian bastards." One of the Rohirrim snarled as he left the room.
"I heard that! You are all Rohan rot! May your land lay in perpetual waste and demise!" One of the witnesses called to the soldier.
"Watch your tongue sir, do not insult the realm of Rohan in front of me ever again!" Theodred had drawn his sword and had it held at the man's stomach.
"Do not presume that you have to right to threaten a man of my court in my house." Denethor said warningly to Theodred.
"No matter who's court I'm in, no one has the right to insult the land of my mother." Theodred replied back and reluctantly lowered his sword.
"I will say as I wish in my own court do not try to counsel me in the ways of a lord in mine own house, I have let your men off easy but I will not be generous again." Denethor stood up and stared harshly at Theodred.
"I do not begin to think that you will show your mercy again." Theodred replied curtly.
"Watch what you say to our father or you will find yourself at the mercy of my sword." Boromir stepped forward, sword unsheathed and anger in his eyes.
Ciara and Eomer could now see into the after the door had been left open and saw the whole scene unfold before them. Ciara held her breath when Boromir stepped forward and Eomer was holding onto Ciara's belt tightly in anticipation.
"Things do not bode well for Rohan and Gondor right now." Denethor stated to the room in a warning.
"Hand over your daughter and Rohan will look upon Gondor as a brother." Theodred suggested though his sword was still drawn.
"Your land is not fit for the beauty and the grace of Lady Ciara. Take your men and yourself and return to your forlorn land. Let it be known from now on that Rohan and Gondor are not brothers in bond or war and look for no aid here." Denethor sneered at Theodred and Gilomen.
"Let it be known." Theodred sneered back and left the room, sword still drawn.
"I must go!" Eomer whispered to Ciara and started running down the hall but stopped half-way and looked back at Ciara. He ran back to her and both wrapped their arms around each other in a loving hug, "I will miss your Ciara."
"Little Eomer, my heart aches at our parting, never forget me." Ciara kissed Eomer lightly on the brow and Eomer smiled sadly as a single tear gave away the braveness he tried to show in his face.
"Hopefully we will meet in better times." Eomer said and ran before more tears could fall. Ciara watched his little figure retreat down the hall and returned to her own room to watch the Rohirrim depart.
~