Chapter VIII
I returned to Théoden's study shortly thereafter. He was reading a book. He looked up from the book and did not say anything. Only a raised eyebrow at my entrance.
"I am incredibly sorry, my lord. I had a minor nosecold," I deadpanned. I rubbed my nose for effect and sniffled a little.
"Interesting." He frowned at something about which he was thinking.
There was a long pause. I sank my feet deeper in the fur carpets.
"Now, where were we, Ardeas, before you were so unfortunately taken in with a... what exactly was it again?" His eyebrows raised again.
"A nosecold, my lord."
"A nosecold."
"And I believe you were just saying that my mother's father was lord."
"Indeed I was."
I blushed.
"As I was saying, your mother was the daughter of a lord. And the more more I think about it, the more I am convinced that your grandfather is Lord Éodain. Your mother could therefore only be his only child, a daughter: Lady Adinel. There was quite scandal fourteen years ago, your approximate age I surmise. Lady Adinel was not yet married, and she was pregnant, with you I would assume. The father, your father, was never revealed by the Lady, and he himself never came forward with the responsibility."
Did I detect a hint of animosity in his tone about my supposed father?
"Your mother, Lady Adinel, left the royal court and was never heard of for four years. During that time, one of her closest friends, by the name of Thera, left the court as well. We soon found out that she left to find Adinel."
Thera. That name rang a bell inside my mind. Thera... it sounded like a name I had used long ago. Thera. Had I known someone in my past named Thera?
There was a pause as Théoden shifted in his seat. He glanced up at me as I stared off into space, trying to remember where I had heard the name Thera.
"Are you well, child?"
I nodded. "I was just thinking, my lord." I asked on an impulse: "Do you know why Morwyn is so melancholy?"
He gave a long, incredulous stare. "Morwyn?"
"Yes, my lord. I have just become acquainted with her, and she seemed rather sorrowful about something."
"You should not pay attention to her."
"Why, my lord?"
"Because her company is unhealthy," he said scornfully.
I flinched at his tone.
"Unhealthy?" I asked quietly, hoping to not to brew anger.
"Yes, very unhealthy. Try to avoid her, child. We wouldn't want such a nice girl as yourself to be ruined by the likes of her. I will be introducing you to Lord Éodain sometime this noon meal."
I blinked at the change of subject.
"There is much more to be told, but not now. Come back to my study following the noon meal. That is all, Ardeas. You may go."
"Thank you, my lord."
Théoden returned his gaze to papers on his desk.
I stood and curtsied falteringly. I left the room and entered the main hall, closing the heavy door behind me.
Why on Arda did Théoden want me to avoid Morwyn? What had she done?
I returned to my room, intent upon thinking over everything I had just learned. My grandfather lived in the halls. He was probably that one man who did not stop staring at me through dinner last night. My emotions did not change when I found out that I very likely had kin living here.
I wondered at that. Did I not care at this new revelation?
No, I really did not. It did not bother me one way or another. In fact, the enigma of Morwyn had me more interested than the concept of my grandfather.
I found that rather odd.
---
A few minutes later, and I had decided I was going to find out all I could about Morwyn so I could decide for myself whether I would avoid her or not. My mind swam with ideas at what she had done to deserve such treatment, yet still be allowed to take up residency here (apparently, at least). Was it something her parents or other kin did? The whole situation was curious.
---
Éowyn found me fifteen minutes later ready for noon meal.
She smiled, "Excellent. I was worried that I might have to remind you that noon meal was about to occur."
I chuckled slightly. "How could I forget?"
Éowyn shook her head slightly. "No one will mention it."
"Just like no one did on the practice field," I said sarcastically.
Éowyn frowned slightly, "They were probably half inebriated. They are all imbeciles anyway." She wavered for a moment. "What were you doing on the practice field?"
"I was just there. I talked to Morwyn for a little bit." Éowyn visibly stiffened when I mentioned her name. Her eyes changed from warm and friendly to cool and distant. She interrupted me.
"You should not have spoken to her. I should have talked to you first."
"She did me no harm!" I rebuffed.
"She is unhealthy company," Éowyn said firmly, in a tone of disdain.
"She seemed not unhealthy to me."
Éowyn did not answer. "You must come to the noon meal now."
I bristled. "Will no one say why she deserves so much dislike?"
Éowyn turned to me with distant eyes. "Ardeas, your ignorance in court manners will not go untaught. For now, they are excused. In the future, you will be dealt with so lightly."
What?!
"For the time that you remain her, I must kindly request that you stay away from Morwyn." She spoke Morwyn's name as if it was bitter poison on her lips and that she must seperate herself from it as quickly as possible.
Éowyn had turned from a friend and confidant to a cold and detached acquaintance.
"Come. You must come to the noon meal."
Why did this subject make everyone so different? It made me so furious that a girl such as Morwyn, a very shy girl and seemingly friendly, was treated so indifferently. What on earth had she done to deserve such a thing?
I decided not to ask Krane about Morwyn. I did not want him hating me.
---
Apparently, with the subject off Morwyn, Éowyn soon returned to her normal self. Laughing lightly and including me in conversations and such. Théoden seemed to have forgotten Morwyn as well. I could not bring myself to smile or laugh as much as I might have. The way their personalities changed was unnerving, added to my already disturbing conversations with them.
I finished dinner without any major mishaps, such as losing everything all Lord Éodain, who was sitting directly across from me, much to my chagrin. Mortelia was kind enough to laugh at me before snorting quite ridiculously as she tried to hold it in after a few pointed glares from Krane and Éowyn.
As the final plates were taken away, people began to leave to return to whatever activities they had taken up before the meal. Théoden spoke in a conversational tone to Lord Éodain.
"Lord Éodain, I believe I have something to tell you about the lady Ardeas who now sits across from you."
I stared at the table where my plate had been; my right hand began playing with my black tresses.
"Yes, my lord?" Lord Éodain answered, after casting a suspicious look at me.
"This is Adinel's daughter."
At least he got it over with as soon as possible. I could not have stood it if Théoden had dragged it out.
Lord Éodain turned his penetrating gaze to me. I could feel the looks of others who had heard this piece of news look at me.
"I had wondered about that, my lord," Lord Éodain said to Théoden King, still looking at me. I turned my face upwards, focusing my eyes somewhere around his chin. I was not yet ready to make eye contact.
Silence reigned at our end of the table. The other end, as well as other tables, began to notice the uneasy silence near the King, and soon, the entire room was quiet.
I began to hear whispers go down the table as those that had heard Théoden told the others next to them and so forth. Soon, I was under the entire room's scrutiny. And I did not like it one bit.