Sorry this is a very short chapter, but it was a good place to end it.
The heir of Théodred
Chapter Ten
"I will not!" Mayda cried out, throwing her bruised arms up to protect her head for what seemed like the millionth time that week. It had been a long week, one filled with a courage and steadfastness that Mayda did not know she possessed. It infuriated Maydir, and he went from attempt to attempt trying to persuade her, or often just beating her until she gave in. Meduseld was too quiet for anyone to notice, as many had gone to Minas Tirith for the celebrations.
"You will!" the devilish man roared back as he lashed at her poor arms with a horsewhip, something he had found much more easy to wield than his belt. Mayda fell to her knees and bent over, protecting hugging her body in her misery. "How do you think your father would feel huh?" With this he planted a kick in her ribs knocking her onto her side in agony.
"He would be so furious, he would rip you to pieces where you stand," the girl shrieked, climbing to her feet and casting her uncle a stubborn glare, this earned her another kick, planted neatly on her chest.
"I did not mean how would he feel about me?" Maydir asked with a smirk. " I meant how would he feel if you let the throne go?"
"He would not care!" Mayda spat. "He did not care that mamma refused to be queen. He still loved her the same." Maydir started laughing outrageously.
"Ah yes, your mother," he sneered. "What a waste she turned out to be." Mayda's eyes burned with furious tears and once more she stumbled to her feet.
"Don't you say anything about my mother," she whispered shaking with her anger and hurt. "She hated you, and so did papa. You did not dare come back when they were around. You were afraid, because papa would have killed you!"
"What can I say?" Maydir said simply, lifting the whip again. Mayda stumbled backwards into the door, grasping for the handle. " He was a barbarian." Tears trickled down Mayda's cheeks as she stared at the only truly barbaric man she had ever met. Even the orcs did not match his cruelty and his vileness.
"My uncle will kill you then," she hissed, getting a hold on the cold handle. Finally she gave it a firm pull and the door flew open and she out of it like a dart. She did not dare look behind as she heard his thunderous footsteps closing on her. She did not know where to turn. Every corner she made led her onto yet another deserted passageway. The emptiness tore at her heart and she began to weep as she ran wildly through this haven of peace that once was.
Finally the chase was spent and the monstrous man caught up with the child and lifted her to her feet. She screamed with all her might...but none answered.
"No one is going to help you," Maydir sneered in her ear. " Your father dead, your mother ravished by orcs and left to die...face it girl, you have no one in this world any more."
"Yes I do," Mayda cried as she was dragged away kicking and screaming. Her thoughts flew to her aunt and uncle, far away in the white city...
"You said you would protect me!" Had any been around to hear, they would hear her scream echo through the empty corridors for many hours.
X X X
Éomer sat up in bed, cold sweat running down his face, his eyes flying around the foreign room as though they were trying to find what had awoken him. It was no use, whatever it was had passed, leaving him with a feeling of terrible worry, and a terrible scream lingering in his ears from the nightmare that had haunted his sleep.
"Mayda," he whispered in the dark. Beside him Lothiriel stirred from her light sleep and saw her dear husband sat straight up in bed.
"Éomer?" she uttered, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. " What is it my darling?"
"We must get back to Edoras, all is not well," he replied sounding scared out of his wits. His tone made Lothiriel's skin creep and she sat up by his side and wrapped her arms around his shivering form. " Tomorrow, we must go!" Lothiriel nodded quickly and kissed his bare shoulder.
"Then we shall," she whispered. "Come my love, will you not lie down, you are deathly cold!" Éomer shook his head in an attempt to force away his worry, before gingerly lying down once more. Lothiriel pulled the soft blankets over him before resting her head next to his on the pillow, looking into his wide eyes with concern. With a small smile Éomer leaned forward and kissed her before closing his eyes and letting a dreamless sleep come over him. Only Lothiriel remained awake, staring at her sleeping husband, her thoughts straying to Edoras, was their dear little niece all right?
X X X
Broken and ragged, finally Mayda held out her hand to stop the torrent of abuse. Shaking she climbed wearily to her feet and looked up into the hateful face of her uncle. A single tear slid down her face and she closed her eyes in defeat.
"I will do it," she uttered helplessly. A wild smile broke over Maydir's face and he moved to embrace her, but the terrified child pulled back and fell over her feet onto the floor once more.
"Ah, away with you," Maydir grumbled and he stalked out muttering about plans of domination, leaving Mayda alone with her grief, her tears and her feelings of total abandonment. Crawling on her hands and knees, she gingerly made her way over to her desk where one of her father's journals lay. She pulled it down by the leather strap and her eyes fell on his neat script.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, her tears falling to the page to blur the ink...
X X X
Horns sounded through the empty corridors of the palace. Mayda lifted her face from her desk and looked out of her window in defeat, the king's host was returning, as did her tears at the sight. She straightened her dress to hide her torture before getting to her feet and making her way to the door. As she opened it she peered out into the corridors. The emptiness greeted her and for a moment she felt stilled and refreshed with a surge of courage.
"Come along you." A door opened and the skulking form of Maydir stepped out in front of the girl, sending her courage and her resolve into little pieces. Little by little the scoundrel had shredded the courage Éomer and Lothiriel had spent months helping the girl find. She was now more afraid of him than she had ever been.
He held her neck tightly as they made their way through the great hall and out onto the steps. The tears would not stop falling as the King's part made their way up the hill on foot. Even from a distance Mayda could see the concern on her uncle's face, it evoked both hurt and anger in the child...he had deserted her.
When Éomer had come close enough to see the tears on his niece's face he broke into a run, stopping only once he had fallen to his knees before her. He reached out to touch her, but she pulled back.
"Mayda?" Éomer uttered in surprise.
"There is something I have to tell you," Mayda muttered through her tears. She could not look her uncle in the eye. "I dem...deman....demand that I...that I become..." Mayda paused and she closed her eyes fretfully. Her eyes flew up to Maydir, who was staring at her murderously. "That I become queen," she finally finished, looking up finally into Éomer's eyes. For a moment a pain ripped through both of them, that may have signified the breaking of their bond and they looked away simultaneously. All seemed lost.
The heir of Théodred
Chapter Ten
"I will not!" Mayda cried out, throwing her bruised arms up to protect her head for what seemed like the millionth time that week. It had been a long week, one filled with a courage and steadfastness that Mayda did not know she possessed. It infuriated Maydir, and he went from attempt to attempt trying to persuade her, or often just beating her until she gave in. Meduseld was too quiet for anyone to notice, as many had gone to Minas Tirith for the celebrations.
"You will!" the devilish man roared back as he lashed at her poor arms with a horsewhip, something he had found much more easy to wield than his belt. Mayda fell to her knees and bent over, protecting hugging her body in her misery. "How do you think your father would feel huh?" With this he planted a kick in her ribs knocking her onto her side in agony.
"He would be so furious, he would rip you to pieces where you stand," the girl shrieked, climbing to her feet and casting her uncle a stubborn glare, this earned her another kick, planted neatly on her chest.
"I did not mean how would he feel about me?" Maydir asked with a smirk. " I meant how would he feel if you let the throne go?"
"He would not care!" Mayda spat. "He did not care that mamma refused to be queen. He still loved her the same." Maydir started laughing outrageously.
"Ah yes, your mother," he sneered. "What a waste she turned out to be." Mayda's eyes burned with furious tears and once more she stumbled to her feet.
"Don't you say anything about my mother," she whispered shaking with her anger and hurt. "She hated you, and so did papa. You did not dare come back when they were around. You were afraid, because papa would have killed you!"
"What can I say?" Maydir said simply, lifting the whip again. Mayda stumbled backwards into the door, grasping for the handle. " He was a barbarian." Tears trickled down Mayda's cheeks as she stared at the only truly barbaric man she had ever met. Even the orcs did not match his cruelty and his vileness.
"My uncle will kill you then," she hissed, getting a hold on the cold handle. Finally she gave it a firm pull and the door flew open and she out of it like a dart. She did not dare look behind as she heard his thunderous footsteps closing on her. She did not know where to turn. Every corner she made led her onto yet another deserted passageway. The emptiness tore at her heart and she began to weep as she ran wildly through this haven of peace that once was.
Finally the chase was spent and the monstrous man caught up with the child and lifted her to her feet. She screamed with all her might...but none answered.
"No one is going to help you," Maydir sneered in her ear. " Your father dead, your mother ravished by orcs and left to die...face it girl, you have no one in this world any more."
"Yes I do," Mayda cried as she was dragged away kicking and screaming. Her thoughts flew to her aunt and uncle, far away in the white city...
"You said you would protect me!" Had any been around to hear, they would hear her scream echo through the empty corridors for many hours.
X X X
Éomer sat up in bed, cold sweat running down his face, his eyes flying around the foreign room as though they were trying to find what had awoken him. It was no use, whatever it was had passed, leaving him with a feeling of terrible worry, and a terrible scream lingering in his ears from the nightmare that had haunted his sleep.
"Mayda," he whispered in the dark. Beside him Lothiriel stirred from her light sleep and saw her dear husband sat straight up in bed.
"Éomer?" she uttered, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. " What is it my darling?"
"We must get back to Edoras, all is not well," he replied sounding scared out of his wits. His tone made Lothiriel's skin creep and she sat up by his side and wrapped her arms around his shivering form. " Tomorrow, we must go!" Lothiriel nodded quickly and kissed his bare shoulder.
"Then we shall," she whispered. "Come my love, will you not lie down, you are deathly cold!" Éomer shook his head in an attempt to force away his worry, before gingerly lying down once more. Lothiriel pulled the soft blankets over him before resting her head next to his on the pillow, looking into his wide eyes with concern. With a small smile Éomer leaned forward and kissed her before closing his eyes and letting a dreamless sleep come over him. Only Lothiriel remained awake, staring at her sleeping husband, her thoughts straying to Edoras, was their dear little niece all right?
X X X
Broken and ragged, finally Mayda held out her hand to stop the torrent of abuse. Shaking she climbed wearily to her feet and looked up into the hateful face of her uncle. A single tear slid down her face and she closed her eyes in defeat.
"I will do it," she uttered helplessly. A wild smile broke over Maydir's face and he moved to embrace her, but the terrified child pulled back and fell over her feet onto the floor once more.
"Ah, away with you," Maydir grumbled and he stalked out muttering about plans of domination, leaving Mayda alone with her grief, her tears and her feelings of total abandonment. Crawling on her hands and knees, she gingerly made her way over to her desk where one of her father's journals lay. She pulled it down by the leather strap and her eyes fell on his neat script.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, her tears falling to the page to blur the ink...
X X X
Horns sounded through the empty corridors of the palace. Mayda lifted her face from her desk and looked out of her window in defeat, the king's host was returning, as did her tears at the sight. She straightened her dress to hide her torture before getting to her feet and making her way to the door. As she opened it she peered out into the corridors. The emptiness greeted her and for a moment she felt stilled and refreshed with a surge of courage.
"Come along you." A door opened and the skulking form of Maydir stepped out in front of the girl, sending her courage and her resolve into little pieces. Little by little the scoundrel had shredded the courage Éomer and Lothiriel had spent months helping the girl find. She was now more afraid of him than she had ever been.
He held her neck tightly as they made their way through the great hall and out onto the steps. The tears would not stop falling as the King's part made their way up the hill on foot. Even from a distance Mayda could see the concern on her uncle's face, it evoked both hurt and anger in the child...he had deserted her.
When Éomer had come close enough to see the tears on his niece's face he broke into a run, stopping only once he had fallen to his knees before her. He reached out to touch her, but she pulled back.
"Mayda?" Éomer uttered in surprise.
"There is something I have to tell you," Mayda muttered through her tears. She could not look her uncle in the eye. "I dem...deman....demand that I...that I become..." Mayda paused and she closed her eyes fretfully. Her eyes flew up to Maydir, who was staring at her murderously. "That I become queen," she finally finished, looking up finally into Éomer's eyes. For a moment a pain ripped through both of them, that may have signified the breaking of their bond and they looked away simultaneously. All seemed lost.