I'm sorry it has been so long! I have been so busy with the last couple weeks of my high school career! In hopes of forgiveness I tried to make this chapter a little longer! I hope you enjoy!
Chapter Seven
A few days later, during my time off, a loud knock sounded through my small house. I had been in the process of braiding my hair to go to the market, but I let it hang loose when I answered the door, thinking that no one of importance would be at the door.
However, I was wrong. Boromir stood on the other side of the door. I tried to gather my hair in my hands as there was nothing as unacceptable for a Gondoran woman than to have her hair down, except for appearing in public visibly pregnant.
"My lord, I am not presentable," I stammered.
He laughed out loud. "Nonsense." Boromir held out the box he had been holding. "I brought you something."
I took the box. I did not know if I should invite him into my home or not. Such behavior was not acceptable between noble, unmarried people, but then I was not noble.
"Would you like to come in?" I finally asked.
"I would love." He strode in and looked around.
"It is not much," I said, embarrassed for the first time of my house. The man that stood in front of m e was used to huge, intricate palaces. Compared to his style of living mine definitely had its short comings.
Boromir smiled down at me. "I like it." He gestured to the box I held. "Are you going to open it?"
"Oh, of course." I set it on the counter and began to undo the twine bindings. When it was opened I saw a beautiful sapphire pendant lying on deep green fabric. I moved the necklace and pulled the dress out.
"If it does not fit I wrote down the name of the seamstress who made it for me. She can help." He was smiling at me broadly. "It was mostly guesswork on my part."
Seeing the beautiful, expensive gown and gorgeous jewel put fresh doubts in my mind. "My lord, I am not so sure I can attend your feast," I said quietly.
"Why not?" Confusion came over his handsome face. "Are you busy?"
I shook my head. "For propriety's sake, my lord." He only stared at me. "I do not belong at such an occasion. I have no noble blood and will be completely out of place."
"Do not be ridiculous, Lindy," he said. "I want you there."
"Only because I helped you when you were injured. That is my job, my lord, nothing more," I argued.
"Stop calling me 'my lord.' I have grown to hate it coming out of your mouth. My name is Boromir," he sighed. "I want you there because I have grown to enjoy your company. You differences make you such a refreshing companion." Boromir took a step closer to me, closing the space between us in the small kitchen.
I was frozen in my place. Boromir towered over me, the top of my head barely matching his shoulder. He was twice as broad as me.
"I want you to come because I could not think of anyone else that I would rather spend the evening with," he whispered. His large hand brushed a piece of my hair behind my ears, grazing my cheek as he did so.
Before I could protest or move away Boromir was bending towards me. My eyes closed of their own volition. His lips landed on mine tenderly and his one hand was on my cheek. It was bliss as I let all of my feelings come out from the back of my mind where I had hidden them. I wanted more than Boromir was giving me and I pulled away.
"I am sorry, Lindy. I do not know what possessed me. That was terribly brash." He ran a hand through his dark hair.
"No my lord, something like this would have been brash." I put my small hands on his hard chest and pushed him backwards so that he was sitting on the kitchen table. It put him at a much more advantageous height.
My arms twined around his neck and I stepped between his long legs, pressing myself against him. His large hands slid down my back, scorching through my dress as they went.
I nibbled his lower lip and his tongue found mine. Our chests collided in their fervent rising and falling, trying to breathe without breaking the contact our mouths had made.
Finally, Boromir broke the kiss. One of his calloused hands was in my unbound hair. "Brash indeed," he muttered, pushing my long auburn locks behind my ear.
I stared at the floor, my cheeks flushed. It had been a good long while since I had felt passion I had then. There was a distinct difference with Boromir though. The difference being that I should never have let him kiss me. He was so far above me and even daydreaming about the Steward-Prince was inappropriate for someone on my level of society in Minas Tirith.
With the breaking of the kiss I got my wits back and realized what I had just done. Lord Boromir kissing me was one matter, but me kissing him, especially in the manner that I did, was unacceptable.
"I thought I said to stop with the 'my lord' rubbish," Boromir said.
I eventually looked back at him. He was still sitting on the table, his hands planted on either side of him, and he was smiling softly at me.
"Forgive me," I said quietly.
"Come here." Boromir held a hand out to me. When I put my hand in his he pulled me so that I was standing between his legs again. "What is the matter now?"
"I really should not have done that." I could not meet his grey eyes.
"Perhaps not," he agreed. "But I do not regret that you did."
Boromir stood and I had to lean my head back to look at him. "I need to get back," he said. Bending over me he gave me one last, sound kiss on the lips before stepping around me and leaving my house.
I nearly fell into a chair and began running my hands through my hair nervously. My eyes caught sight of the sapphire pendant on the counter and my stomach rolled over.
-ooooOoooo-
"What am I doing, Reallan?" I asked the older woman, who was brushing my hair.
"I am not sure," she responded quietly. "But Lord Boromir has requested your company."
"I do not belong among those people!" I exclaimed nervously.
"Lindy, Lord Boromir wants you there. Perhaps you do not belong there, but he has looked past that." Reallan began to twist my hair into a tight bun at the base of my neck.
"What do I do? I have no idea how to behave. The only nobles I have ever been around were in the Houses visiting Lord Boromir."
Reallan sighed. "Just as you were then, you should try to be as unobtrusive as possible."
I got to my feet and slipped the dress over my head. Reallan fastened the pendant around my neck. She held a small looking glass up for me and the woman who peered back at me was completely unrecognizable.
-ooooOoooo-
After the feast, during which I had sat obscurely at a back table, music started up and many couples took their place on the dance floor. I watched, entranced, their intricate dancing and complicated foot movements.
Lord Boromir, after a few songs had played, stood from his place at the high table and I discreetly watched him make his way around the dance floor. Honestly, I felt a little irritated when the woman from the Houses, Lady Celille, stepped in front of him, curtseying low. She seemed to be asking the Steward-Prince to dance, but he waved her away.
When I realized he was heading for me my irritation turned to panic. In that instant I wished Lady Celille had succeeded in getting Boromir to dance. My heart beat hard in my chest and my palms began to perspire.
"Care to dance?" Boromir asked when he was standing over me.
I shook my head. "Oh no, I could not. I do not know the steps." I refrained from adding 'my lord.'
"They are simple steps, Lindy." He smiled. "Just let me lead."
"I really cannot. You said this was a feast," I insisted.
The music slowed a little. "Look now, the steps for this one are much simpler." He took my hand and hauled me to my feet. "Call it rehabilitation for me."
I sighed knowing I would never win the argument. "If you feel up to it. Anything for the sake of recovery." I smiled nervously, allowing myself to be led onto the dance floor among the other dancers.
Boromir did not hold me very close as that was not customary in Gondor. I kept my eyes on the floor, praying to everything holy that I would not stomp on his feet.
"Look up here," he instructed. "Do not fret. I have suffered worse than a sore foot."
I laughed lightly. "I suppose you have."
"So what Lindy? Do you not have dancing in Bree?" Boromir asked with a grin.
"No, there is dancing. It is not so elegant or formal as this however." I glanced back at our feet before quickly looking back up. "It is mostly pub dancing."
The music went back to its upbeat tempo, but Boromir would not let me leave the floor. He insisted on teaching me the more intricate steps and I managed to step on his feet a handful times throughout the next few songs. He took like it a true gentleman and refrained from making any noises or complaining about my poor dancing.
Throughout our dancing I could feel everyone's eyes on us. I had expected as much. After all, everyone present knew that I was not one of them, not one of the elite. However, the Steward-Prince had taken an interest and they were curious. However, what I did not anticipate were the hostile looks that burned me like flames. The majority of those looks were from the noblewomen that I recognized from the Houses of Healing. I assumed that they recognized me as well.
Before I knew it, Boromir had maneuvered us around the dance floor close to the exit onto the veranda. He placed my hand on his arm and we walked out into the crisp night. When we got to the stone railing we were overlooking the sleeping city.
"Thank you for coming, Lindy," Boromir said. "You were a comfort to see."
"Well you see, I had this new dress and I had to wear it somewhere," I jested.
Boromir laughed out loud. "I see. But honestly I had forgotten how dreadful these occasions are, but you somehow managed to make it more interesting," he chuckled.
"You are always exaggerating what I do," I laughed lightly.
"I do not exaggerate. It is only the truth I speak."
I remained quiet and so did he for a good while.
Finally, he broke the silence. "I must return. It is rude to skip one's own party." Boromir offered me his arm. "Will you join me?"
"I think I shall enjoy the air for a while longer," I replied. He nodded and went back into the hall while I remained outside and enjoyed the respite from the staring eyes.
A little later, when I glanced over my shoulder I could see Boromir dancing with the Lady Celille. She had finally gotten her dance and seemed to be chattering on and on and he looked nothing short of miserable.
With a small smile I turned to look over the city one more time. A few moments later I felt someone's hot breath on my neck. The person smelled strongly of ale. Before I could get away there was a large hand on my waist anchoring me to the man behind me.
"If I buy you a nice new gown and pretty jewels will you warm my bed as well?" The man asked drunkenly, close to my ear. His hand slid up to cup my breast.
I brought my elbow back into his stomach hard and as he doubled over I turned and brought my knee swiftly into his groin. A woman who traveled alone must learn how to defend herself and, apparently the skill came in useful in the city as well. I quickly escaped back into the hall, looking once at the hunched over man on the veranda.
Trying to regain my composure, I walked purposefully through the hall. Boromir was nowhere to be found and I was grateful for that.
"Well if it is not another of Lord Boromir's harlots," Lady Celille said viciously to her snickering companions. I stopped in my tracks and looked at her for a moment. When I continued out the door I could hear them laughing behind me.
On the way home my mind reeled. Mostly I was angry with myself. How could I have been so clueless? What else would the Steward-Prince of Gondor want from me, a lowly Healer? Yet again I had been tricked by a man with a silver tongue. Yet again I had been blind enough to fall for kind words and generous gestures. Boromir, being who he was, would love and marry someone like Lady Celille while he would entertain himself with some poor girl like me.
When I entered my home I violently unclasped the sapphire pendant and slammed it upon the table before ripping the dress over my head and flinging it into a chair. I slammed by bedroom door behind me and fell into bed.
There you go! I thoroughly enjoyed writing this chapter! Please let me know what you thought! I love to know what you guys are thinking (what you liked or didn't care for ect.)!
Happy reading,
Avonmora