Chapter Fifteen
Less than a week. She had less than a week to make Niphredil fall enough in love with her. And now Eomer had come to make it hard on her. What was she to do?
Why did Arwen pick her? She wondered day in and day out. She never figured it out.
"Belegthon?" Niphredil purred.
Lothiriel nearly jumped out of her seat. Great, she thought, mentally rolling her eyes. She's back.
"Yes, Milady?" She said in her gentlest voice.
"Oh, Belegthon. I don't know what to do! I am just devastated by the situation! You must help me!" Niphredil sighed. Lothiriel tried to remember if Niphredil had always had such a high voice, or if it was just around Belegthon that she spoke like that.
"What is your situation, milady?" Lothiriel asked. Perhaps it was that she didn't love Faramir but had to marry him. And she didn't know what to do about it.
"Natalie is being terribly mean to me! She called me a...a...a whore!" She sobbed. A plan started to formulate in Lothiriel's mind. Maybe Arwen wouldn't like it, but it could work.
"Oh dear, Milady. 'Tis terrible that you cannot get along with Lady Natalie. Did you realize that Natalie is one of your intended's rangers?"
Niphredil looked befuddled.
Lothiriel sighed. She couldn't believe just how thick Niphredil could be.
"If Natalie is a ranger of Faramir's, then she will be working with Faramir. If she works with Faramir, then she will be living in Ithilien as well," Lothiriel explained carefully, almost as though she was talking to a very small child. "Understand?" She asked.
Niphredil nodded, horrified.
"I can't live in the same village as that woman! I can't, and I won't! And to think about how...primitive Emyn Arnen is to begin with! How am I to do this, Belegthon? You must help me! You must get me out of this!"
Lothiriel stared at the tearful woman, aghast. She thought that the plan would help, but she didn't realize how much it would help.
"And Faramir! He is so mundane! How am I to spend my life with him? I hate him, I hate Emyn Arnen, I hate Natalie, I hate Gondor, I hate everything about this marriage! Oh, you must help me, Belegthon. You must!"
Lothiriel just nodded, dazed. She had to admit. She didn't expect all that emotion coming from Niphredil. As far as she had seen, Niphredil was just a doll that walked and talked. Lothiriel had never actually seen a reaction from her!
Finally, words came back into her mouth. "Of course, Milady. I will do whatever is in my power to do. Being a good friend to Lady Arwen, I could possibly get something done. I don't know though, I'll try."
Niphredil threw herself at Lothiriel's feet. "Oh, thank you, thank you! Thank the Valar for you! Iluvatar has blessed me this day. Thank you!
"You are quite welcome, Milady. 'Tis no great issue. I will do what I can, but I must admit that 'tis a little more selfish than you think it is. For I would dread to see your wedding to someone else," she said, deciding at the last minute to keep up the charade a little longer still, for it would be a tragedy if Niphredil changed her mind at the last minute. Better keep her thinking that she was loved but someone else.
"Really?" Niphredil asked in that deathly sweet voice of hers. Lothiriel resisted rolling her eyes, and stuck to mentally doing it, as she had been almost every fifteen minutes for the last two days.
Instead, she faked a blush. "Aye. As much I am ashamed to admit it, I think quite fondly of you milady," she said softly, as though she were confiding a secret of top importance into Niphredil.
"Oh, and I you!" Niphredil cried softly. "I have been falling more in love with you each minute, but I feared that you returned naught these feelings! But I see that you do. Let us go away together, to the Elven land of Imladris, from where you originated. There we shall dwell forever, together," she declared.
Mentally, Lothiriel smirked. I don't return those feelings, she thought. You are really thick.
To tell the truth, Lothiriel felt a little bad about playing with Niphredil's feelings like this. But there wasn't a choice. She could not end up marrying Faramir. Besides, it wasn't like she was innocent of all crimes to begin with. After all, she had been flirting with Belegthon even while she was engaged to Faramir. This proved to Lothiriel that she would not feel bad about running off with someone while she was married. But, maybe these points were just to sooth Lothiriel's qualms about doing this to Niphredil. She couldn't figure it out herself.
Niphredil rose suddenly. "I have spent to much time here. I must go, for I am expected by Arwen to sew with her today," she said. Suddenly, she hesitated, then she carefully leaned down and kissed Lothiriel on the cheek.
Lothiriel was stunned. She did not see that coming! Niphredil had kissed her! She had only been kissed once before, and that was by Eomer, that time in the practice courts. In her whole life, she had always anticipated that her first kiss might be somewhat of a shock, but she never gave a second thought to her second! When Eomer kissed her, it wasn't a shock. He was pretty obvious. But Niphredil! She didn't realize their relationship was that far along already.
(new scene)
The whole walk through Minas Tirith had given Eowyn only two things. One was proof that Lothiriel was doing her job. The only other thing it had given was that she had come to the conclusion that she should do some investigating of her own about this poisoning thing.
But when she got back, it was already time for dinner. Unfortunately, she had lost her appetite. So she just had to sit there and pick at her food.
Apparently, Belegthon had lost his appetite as well, for he was not present. But Eowyn knew that was just because Lothiriel did not want to run into Eomer again. It was going to cause some problems, having Eomer here. It would be a lot easier without him complicating things.
Partway through, Arwen mouthed to Eowyn something. Eowyn couldn't understand what she was saying. So instead, Arwen did something that Eowyn found extremely frightening. She connected her mind to Eowyn's.
Estel knows, came the thought.
Arwen? Eowyn thought, quite nervous.
Yes, 'tis me. Don't worry. I suppose you have never experienced a mental connection. 'Tis something that Elves do oft.
Can you read my mind? Eowyn questioned via her thoughts.
Only what you send to me, though you always knew that I know what you are thinking better than most do.
Eowyn glanced over at the elf, who was engaged in a seemingly normal conversation with Lady Quessefin.
How do you talk to two people at once? She asked, wondering privately, or at least she hoped it was privately, if the connection was still there.
I am only half talking to Lady Quessefin. It is like talking when your mind is on something else. I couldn't do it to Estel or my father or someone like that, but people like Quessefin don't notice.
How long will the connection hold? Eowyn asked.
As long as I keep it going. I can open it up anytime though, but I have to be the one to open it. Men and women can't do it. Only elves. I will wait for one more minute ere I close, but I am going to close now.
Eowyn did not respond. This was all so new and strange to her. A mental connection. That could benefit the two in their plans. That is, if Arwen deemed it necessary at the precise moments that she did.
Eowyn began wondering how distant the mental connection would work. She made a mental note to ask Arwen about it later. It could save someone's life, depending on the circumstances.
Finally, dinner was over. Eowyn's meal was not touched at all. She told herself that it was not from fear of poison, as she did not fear death, but she knew that there was only half truth to that. When she said that she feared neither death nor pain, she did not mean that she would risk her life for a needless cause. In addition, along with all the other things he had done to her, Faramir had taught her to respect life a little more. She remembered vividly a conversation the two had. She had stated her lack of fear for death, and she would always remember his response, so gentle, yet so reprimanding.
"If you do not care for life, then what do you fight for?" he had asked. It was then that she realized that honor was not everything. There were other vital points in life, one of the most prominent being life itself.
Eowyn did not sleep well that night. She tossed and turned, this way and that. She opened her shutters and stared at the stars. She tried desperately to recall Faramir's song, but failed. The only thing she could think of was the poison. Who could have done it? Why?
Niphredil didn't make sense any longer. She was annoying, yes. Maybe even, as Lothiriel suggested, evil! But she would have no reason to poison Eowyn. As far as she knew, Eowyn would be a good ally. That did not make sense. Besides, it hit her out of the blue; the poison had taken place before Niphredil had even come! Not to mention before she had been introduced to people.
Who could it be? It didn't make sense, any of it. Why would someone try to poison her? She couldn't figure it out.
Denethor? He was worried she would distract his son from his fiancee, and decided to kill her? But Denethor didn't seem too concerned when Niphredil was distracted from her fiance. It just didn't make sense.
Arwen, Aragorn, Denethor, Faramir, Lothiriel, Niphredil, Lady Quessefin, Lady Delia, Belegmir, Natalie, Beregond, and Nenion the swordsmaster. Eowyn went through a list of all her closer acquaintances that were in Minas Tirith at the moment. None of them worked.
If she had been in Edoras, or somewhere else in Rohan, Eowyn would have known exactly why someone would have tried to harm her. When it came to someone short of the king, the only reason someone would poison someone else was if the second person had a fine horse that the first person wanted. But she didn't think that people operated like that in Minas Tirith.
Therefore, either someone from Rohan wanted Windfola, or she was being hunted by an unknown hunter. Which made the hunter ever more dangerous.
On a whole, Eowyn ended up sleeping but three restless hours, that were broken up frequently by sudden nightmares. She was so exhausted by the time she woke the next morn, that she almost didn't get out of bed. But she knew she wouldn't get anything out of lying in sloth, so she rose early.
Where to start her investigations though? Where had Aragorn started? Eowyn decided there was one logical place. In other words, the kitchen.
So she donned a rough dress, the one she wore when she did not want to be recognized as a lady, and pulled her hair back into a tight knot. Then she descended to the kitchens.
There was but one person there when she arrived, a young girl who was cleaning the fireplace. Perfect. This girl would certainly know.
"Excuse me," Eowyn said, adding a rough accent to her voice.
The girl looked up and smiled. "Aye, Ma'am?" she asked.
"My name is Fania. I have a question to ask o' you," Eowyn stated, deciding to apply the false name at the last minute.
"Goo' day, Ma'am Fania, I'm Toni. You wish to question?"
"Aye. Could you tell me about some sort of poison goin' 'round?" Eowyn asked, struggling with the accent.
"Ah, the poison. Aye, they say tha' someone, they say a man wi' greasy blond hair, tried ta poison one o' the ladies. They say tha' he poisoned a soldier instead. Guess tha' is good," Toni replied. Eowyn didn't understand at the first minute, as she was still trying to grasp the girl's accent. It made it difficult to understand indeed.
"Do you know which o' tha ladies he tried ta poison?" Eowyn asked, trying to imitate the Toni's accent.
Toni appeared to think for a moment. "No, Ma'am, I'm 'fraid I don'. I'd wager Miss Taura does though," she said with a grin.
"Than' you. I'll ask Miss Taura then," Eowyn said with a smile. But of course, she could not ask Miss Taura, for she did not know what she looked like.
"You had better get goin'. Ma'am will come in any time now, and she wouldn' wan' ta see me gossipin'!" Toni urged. Eowyn was a little insulted that Toni classified her mission as gossip, but she kept her mouth shut. After all, to a girl who didn't know everything, it would appear like gossip.
Eowyn then considered going to breakfast. She wondered if she could bear to eat, and she decided against it. After her conversation with Toni, she feared the worst.
So she proceeded back to her chambers. As she passed the breakfast hall, she realized that breakfast was still two hours away. She had plenty of time to do whatever she had to do.
Once she reached her rooms, she sat on her bed and thought. The culprit was a greasy haired blond man. It sounded too familiar. It was too ironic. She had seen a man that looked like Grima that same night. That was why she was afraid to sit where she would be next to Faramir. The man in the hall bore such a resemblance, and fact that it had been he who had poisoned her... No, Grima couldn't be here. He just couldn't be.
Of course, there was one person who would know. Beregond knew everyone who passed through the doors of the citadel. She could always ask him. But she didn't want word getting to Faramir. Then again, Faramir might know himself. Why did she care if Faramir knew, so long as she got the answer that she wanted?
So she went down to the village, where she knew Beregond lived. She didn't feel exactly comfortable asking him about it, as she hardly knew him, but Eowyn was too bold to worry about little things like that. She knew she would be fine. Beregond seemed to like her.
That is, before he tried to keep her out of Faramir's room. Eowyn had never quite forgiven the man for that. But that aside, she had to speak with him.
(new scene)
Arwen stood at the window, wondering where Niphredil was. She wanted to be friendly to the other woman, so that Niphredil felt like she was doing the right thing and would keep doing it. Besides, with Lothiriel acting as Belegthon, there was no other woman in the court who would help her with the wedding gown.
Arwen was quite surprised to find that Niphredil could be a good companion sometimes. She almost wondered if they were doing the wrong thing. Unfortunately, when it came to the world of men, it was sometimes so hard to tell wrong from right. Sure, Eowyn and Faramir could ultimately be more happy, but what about Niphredil? They were truly breaking her heart. How could they do this to an innocent?
Arwen shook herself. Think like Lothiriel, she told herself. Just justify your actions in any way you can. That is what Men do, why can't elves do it too? This was truly a difficult matter. What was right and what was wrong?
Perhaps she should just bust the plan when Niphredil came in. Perhaps she should just tell the woman the truth. But, that would be betraying Eowyn. Whichever path she took at the moment, she would betray someone who didn't deserve the troubles laid on them. Which should she choose?
(new scene)
Lothiriel planned immediately on going to Arwen, to tell her of the events that had just transpired, including the kiss. But then she remembered that Niphredil was going to Arwen's room, to sew. So she decided against it. Instead she decided to go to Eowyn.
So she went out looking for her. The first place to look was obviously the stables. But as Lothiriel was headed to the stables, she saw someone walking towards Denethor's office. The person had long blond hair, and was wearing white. That was all she saw before the person disappeared around a corner.
Lothiriel didn't pause to think. She went around the same corner crying, "Eowyn!" in her normal voice. But she regretted it immediately. For the person she was left staring at was
"Eomer?"