A/N: I hate authors' notes, including mine. They take up space that could be used for substance in the story. But I need to stress this fact: I LOVE reviews. (good or bad, but if bad, please have a reason like "you're writing is unclear, your characters are improbable, and you copied this entire story from on fanfiction" -not that I did, but you get the picture. Opinionated reasons are usually bad reviews. Now if it was a story technique used over and over and over :cough cough, MS cough cough: then that wouldn't necessarily be a bad review by saying that my writing is unoriginal). Yes, and there is one swear word in this chapter.

Disclaimer: Do we really need these?

Apologies: I apologize for a few word incorrections in my first and second chapter. As soon as possible, I will begin to edit those and correct them.

Chapter V

I felt like flicking that brat off as she left, but if she saw, things might have gotten really ugly. Éowyn squeezed my shoulder from behind and whispered in my ear:

"There are plenty of people who hate Mortelia and her friends' guts. I'm glad you've joined the club, though I must say, there are only a few who can whip her butt verbally."

"Thanks." I said turning around, smiling, "I just did what anyone would have done if she accused their mother of being a whore."

"She usually doesn't turn on visitors like that. Unless she thinks they're competition."

"For what?"

"The Prince."

"Oh. How on earth could she think that?" I'm fourteen! I don't even look much older than that!" For Elbereth's sake he must be in his mid-thirties! That's a uh... uh... twenty year age difference! He's old enough to be my father!

"That's what I thought. Maybe she's jealous of something."

"Such as?" As if there could be anything. That girl had everything, including beauty. I was a skinny little girl at best.

"You're beautiful, Ardeas, and you know it. Maybe that's why Théodred was staring at you."

I looked down incredulously. The last thing I was was beautiful. I am skin and bones. Besides, I wouldn't want to be beautiful. Beauty attracts attention, "I'm not really beautiful. I'm just skin and bones."

"Nonsense. And anyway, I think you've found an admirer."

What?

"Excuse me?" At this rate I was going to be sick.

"Look behind you. Very discreetly."

I did. Very discreetly if I do say so myself. And sure enough. There was a man, mid-forties, staring me, running his eyes up and down. I felt like throwing up again. For Elbereth's sake! I was TEN-AND-FOUR YEARS! What kind of perveted people were they? I felt like screaming, What on earth is wrong with you? Lust is bad news. I quickly swallowed the bile that was threatening to rise into my mouth and out of it. It stung against the back of my throat as it went down.

"Can we leave now?" I was feeling awkward. I didn't want to meet more nobles if most of them were like Mortelia. Not that I couldn't have taken them on, but it was rather draining and I don't think I would have had it in me to take on another fifty or so people.

"Not quite yet. We don't want them gossiping at dinner."

"They all eat at the same time?"

"Yes, everyone eats at the same time."

Éowyn stepped to the center of the room, "Everyone!" she said in a slightly commanding voice. The heads in the room turned, "I would like everyone to know the Lady Ardeas. She will be living with us in Meduseld for quite some time."

I curtsied, and my knee cracked. I swear it was so loud they heard it.

There were a few murmured how-do-you-do's and wonderful-to-meet-you's that people said, but within ten seconds everyone returned to their previous gabbing, smoking, or leaning against the wall. I noticed the grey-haired mid-fifties man who had been watching earlier was scrutinizing me again, as if that Éowyn had lied and I really wasn't Ardeas. His eyes narrowed when he looked at my face. I shifted uncomfortably under his eyes. At least he wasn't looking at me at the lustful kind of way of that other sick, sick man.

I made a beeline for the door. Enough with these priggish royals. Some of the Rohirrim people were beginning to slightly freak me out.

I breathed a silent sigh of relief in the hallway. It was slightly before the middle of the afternoon. Quite a long time before the final meal of the day (or so I thought). What to do?

"So," Éowyn said casually, "Is there anything in particular that you would want to do?"

Fine question. As if I really knew anything. But I couldn't really get mad at her when she had been so kind to me this whole day. Then I remembered something.

"What did Krane mean about 'swinging swords against your uncle's will'?"

Éowyn's face colored a beautiful crimson.

"I, uh, well, I sort of taught myself how to wield a sword by watching my brother and my cousin. Technically, I'm not supposed to know those sort of things. As I said before, I'm mainly here to look pretty, manage some things around the household, and then get married."

"Could you teach me something? I don't want to be totally worthless around here."

"You wouldn't be a drag if you sat around all day." She shook her head quickly causing her golden hair to shake majestically. "As long as you don't make Uncle hate you, which would be pretty hard in your case, I'm sure you could stay here as long as you want. But even if I did teach you how to fight, I'm afraid it wouldn't help you much. Mostly because if you told anybody that I taught you, I'll kill you." She smiled to let me know she was being slightly sarcastic.

I didn't make a comment non-verbally or speaking. I'm sure Éowyn would find it very easy to kill me if she wanted to. Better to make friends with people who could harm you and make enemies with people who can't, such as Mortelia.

"But Uncle wouldn't let you fight anyway. He was slightly angry when I told him I could fight, but he relented just as long as I didn't start teaching other girls or went against his will about going out to patrol the borders."

"I think it would be good to give me something to do."

"Yes, you will need something to do. My tasks are so menial I usually end up practicing sword fighing or helping the servants, when they let me. I tried one day of lounging about in that room and I nearly killed myself after about one and a half hours. It's all they do: talk talk talk. They couldn't give a shit about what happens in Rohan, just as long as they get they're free meals and free clothes. And if they're not insinuating that Théoden is doing a horrible job and that they can do better, the girls are extolling the features of Théodred and my brother over and over to the point where I wonder if I've ventured into the land of the truly insane. I honestly don't know why Uncle just doesn't make them leave, even he doesn't like them, but I suppose he does feel a small degree of pity for them. I don't know how he does it."

I smiled at this. Théoden King was growing more likeable by the moment. At least he disliked those, for the most part, spineless nobles. I wished he was my grandfather.

I was interrupted by my thoughts by Éowyn.

"Do you want to learn how to, in your words, 'swing a sword'? Because I must warn you, it isn't easy. It's time consuming, and there's a lot of things you need to get just right in order to not form bad habits. Sword fighting isn't just something you do to pass the time, it really is a commitment. Do you want me to teach you?"

I nodded. Yes. I am sure.

"Okay then. Do you swear on everything that you will not say anything about this to anyone?"

"Yes," I said, ever so slightly annoyed. If I was going to, in her words, 'make a commitment' that of which men, blasted gender, would most likely disapprove, I was going to keep it a secret.

--

As it later turned out, there wasn't any time for any sword lessons today, much to my disappointment. Apparently, with it being sometime in the late afternoon, almost evening, we needed to get ready for dinner. This was a new concept to me altogether. Who gave a crap how you looked when you ate? I mean, I couldn't see anything wrong with the way we looked now! Some royal custom and/or edict. Éowyn ought to do something about it.

Since Éowyn had not bathed earlier, she had to take a bath as well. Since I had never done anything like getting ready for dinner before, I decided to sit around in her bedroom, waiting for her to finish.

The sheets, which were the most luxurious things I had ever seen, were a beautiful starched completely pure white. It was quite obvious nothing had soiled them. The pillows were a new concept altogether. People actually used such fluffy things for their head. I laid back on the bed to test it; Éowyn had mentioned shortly after we left Mortelia that I would be sleeping in a guest room tonight, presumably with a bed. The bed was heavenly, but not quite what I was used to. It was so comfortable to the point where I couldn't really stand it after a minute or so. I moved from the bed to the floor carpets and felt much better. I was going to have to get used to these comforts. I wondered if people actually took these for granted.

Éowyn walked in from the bathing chamber at that moment while I was on the floor, my hair sprayed up behind my head. I must have looked quite ridiculous.

"Ardeas! You'll wrinkle your dress like that!"

Crap. This wasn't my dress.

I hastily stood up, trying to smooth the wrinkles out the best I could. This dress might be worth something. Maybe I had ruined it. Uh oh...

She saw the look in my eye and just smiled, making me relax slightly.

"Now come: we'll have to do your hair."

"But I like my hair the way it is!" I protested.

She didn't reply but almost forcefully moved me toward the bathing room.

The room was still slightly steamy as she sat me down at the table again. I noticed that she smelled different. She smelled like roses. Maybe she had used a perfume.

The looking glass was slightly fogged from the steam and as she progressed with my hair. She was trying the previous hairstyle that had been blown out by the wind the last time. I noticed she pulled harder at my hair.

"Ouch!"

"Sorry."

By the time my hair was finished, the fog had all but entirely dissipated from the room. Éowyn opened a wooden bowl to my right scooping out some white powder. I had a feeling that was going on my face. She patted some of it on my face, but my nose didn't like it.

I sneezed right into Éowyn had as it was about to pat my other cheek with the powder. I sneezed again. And again. I kept sneezing until finally Éowyn used a damp cloth to wipe the powder off of my cheeks.

"Hmm... That' never happened before." She said, "I wonder what's wrong."

"Just don't put it on. You'll make me sneeze through dinner."

"I think you look better without it on anyway."

"Good," I said, hoping she wouldn't put anything else on me. But Éowyn was not to be beaten so easily. She reached for a bottle filled with a red tinted liquid. She took off the cap, flipped it over with her finger over the top, flipped and flipped it back. Some of the liquid remained on her index finger and put touched both of my cheeks with the finger.

"There. Now you'll smell like roses."

Wow. Roses. Every girls dream. I found roses to be delicious. (A/N: Actually there is a recipe for rose petals with sugar and egg yolk and rose flavored Turkish delight is delicious.)

I still looked fabulous, even with hair I didn't really like.

Éowyn smiled. "They'll be staring at you before you sit down." There was a pause before she continued. "A real lady."

"Not quite," I answered, "A few more years and I might say yes."

She swatted me on the arm with a smile. "You're a lady, now and always."

'Lady' sounded very grown up. It made me feel special. But then again, aren't ladies the ones who have to sit around and look pretty? I banished that thought at once. Even if that was true, Éowyn was trying to be nice and I didn't want to ruin the moment.

"Even if a grow seventy worts across my face, lose my arm, and go blind in one eye?" I said laughing.

Éowyn chuckled, but resumed a smile and said with all sincerity, "Yes. A lady even then."

A/N: I know it's not really an important chapter except for the last part, but it needs to go in anyway. The next chapter is obviously going to be dinner in the Golden Hall. The more reviews I get, the more inspired I'll be for the next chapter so keep saying its wonderful or it sucks. I'm currently writing a parody about Mary-Sues. I'm unsure of when or if I'm going to post it. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!