Chapter 4: booze, full of venting goodness

"Tar-Elessar, might I enquire the age of your daughters?"Mazid asked. Aragorn, still a little overwhelmed by his sudden politeness, nodded.

"Merenwen is eight, Miniual is fourteen and Dúniel is nineteen."

"My son is also nineteen."Mazid said."Forgive me if I seem impolite, but I am surprised your eldest daughter is not yet married. Even Miniual."Aragorn frowned slightly.

"I will not let my daughter's marry until they are at least sixteen. As for Dúniel..."he sighed heavily."I have found no man I would be happy to see her with."Mazid knew Aragorn was lying. It was common knowledge that all and any marriage offers had dried up when she was scarred.

"Your son has certainly made an impression on the ladies of Gondor."Aragorn said, watching Arash and Merenwen dancing."Especially my daughters."

"If we are looking for peace, then perhaps the best place to start is with our children becoming friends."Mazid said rather profoundly. "My son will be enjoying all the attention. And he had nothing but praise for Princess Dúniel yesterday."Aragorn smiled.

"Really? So he enjoyed his tour."

"Very much, Tar-Elessar. He said he'd never met anyone who knew so much about the blacksmith's art."Aragorn laughed.

"That is Dúniel for you. She is a talented sword smith, though were she gets it from...she has many talents you wouldn't expect from a young woman."

"From what Arash told me, a sharp tongue amongst them."Aragorn looked troubled.

"I do hope she wasn't rude to your son-"

"Oh no, Tar-Elessar, you misunderstand me. Arash has a wicked tongue himself, and said it was refreshing to find someone else who could challenge him."Aragorn looked back at the dance floor, still slightly troubled.

"If she is being too forward, let me know. She can sometimes forget who she is."

"Don't we all."

Arash finally managed to shake off the fawning crowd of women (he'd realised, to his horror, that Miniual fancied him), and made his way back to speak to Dúniel, and saw her gone. An hour had passed since he'd left her, and it wasn't very late. He glanced around the hall carefully, but it was soon clear she wasn't in the room.

"Arash, finally decided to give the rest of us a chance?"Eldarion laughed, walking over to him, wine goblet in his hand.

"I don't like to admit this to you, but I don't think I've been so terrified in my life."Arash said, grinning.

"They can do that. I think my sisters have become very fond of you. Especially Minuial. "

"Oh, no."Arash said, burning."She's far too young."

"And don't you forget it."Eldarion said.

"Where is Princess Dúniel?"Arash asked, looking around the room again."I meant to dance with her and she's disappeared."Eldarion looked up from his goblet.

"Gone?"Eldarion now scanned the room, concern obvious in his eyes.

"Is something wrong?"

"Will you help me find her?"Eldarion said, putting his goblet down."Before someone else does."

"Well, yes but-"

"When did you last speak to her?"Eldarion asked as they left the room.

"About an hour ago."

"An hour?"he looked around, then at Arash."Look, Dúniel has a lot of problems. If she's got her hands on some alcohol, she might do something silly."Arash looked horrified.

"Oh, surely not-"

"I need you to swere to me that whatever you see tonight stays between us."Eldarion said. Arash could sense Aragorn's presence in Eldarion when he spoke now, the seriousness of whatever was happening hitting him hard."Dúniel promised she wouldn't drink anymore, and I'm just going to have to hope she hasn't. My father won't be happy if he finds out she's gone off again."

"Alright, I swere no one will here of this."Arash said."But I'm afraid I don't understand what's going on."

"I'll explain later. Let's find her first."

"Where should we start?"

"The stables."

They heard sobs as soon as they entered the dark stables. It was the furiousness of the sobs that surprised Arash as they made their way towards them. They were loud, racking sobs, as though they were crying their heart out, and not stopping for breath. There were griefstriken words in there somewhere, but they were hardly audible. Arash let Eldarion go ahead, not sure if he would be welcome. Eldarion looked into Amel's stall and sighed.

"Dúniel."he said quietly. Amel snorted softly and nibbled Eldarion's sleeve. He opened the door and knelt down."Come here, Dúniel."arms wrapped around his neck and he gently pulled her to her feet.

It was only then Arash saw just how much of a mess she was. Her silky black hair was tangled and full of hay, her dress was filthy, and her face was red and blotchy from crying. An empty bottle hung from her fingers. It was frightening to see her in this state.

"What happened, Dúniel?"Eldarion asked, pulling some hay from her hair.

"You don't need me."she whispered angrily."I don't want to stay where I'm not wanted.

I can hear them all whispering about me, the monster."she spat angrily."You all have someone, but I don't! I never have anyone, I never will!"she started crying again."What's wrong with me?"she whispered, burying her face in her brother's shoulder and clutching him tightly.

"Dúniel, there's nothing wrong with you."Eldarion whispered."It's them that're the monster."Arash watched, feeling very uncomfortable. He felt he shouldn't be here watching this, and that Dúniel would never be able to look at him again. But she hadn't noticed him their yet.

"Let's get you to bed."Eldarion said."Arash, will you come take her arm."Dúniel suddenly looked at him, paling.

"You brought him?" she whispered."How could you! He'll tell everyone! He'll tell Ada-"

"I will not tell anyone, princess." Arash said gently, putting her arm around his shoulders. He felt Dúniel stiffen for a moment, then her grief took over again and she wept silently."I'm not sure I'm quite believing what I'm seeing as it is."

"So I can't hold my drink, what do you care?"she said angrily as Eldarion wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Dúniel, you must stay quiet. Ada will not be happy if he sees you like this." the princess paled and quietened.

"I'm sure your brother only brought me because I was the only other person to notice you missing, and he didn't want you to get into trouble."Arash said quietly as they left the stables. Dúniel stared ahead for a long moment.

"No one noticed?"she whispered. Her head lowered."Would they notice if I disappeared from this place?"

"I would." Eldarion said angrily."I'd miss you terribly." Dúniel started laughing.

"I hate you."she snarled suddenly."And you, you shouldn't even be here, Harad!"she tried to escape their grip but they held her easily, and she soon gave up and let them half-walk, half-carry her away. They eventually reached Dúniel's rooms, miraculously avoiding being spotted.

"Will you hold her for a moment while I get her bed ready?"Eldarion asked. Arash nodded, and gently held Dúniel as her brother unlocked her door and entered.

"Come on."Arash said quietly, leading her towards the door. Dúniel stopped suddenly, raising her head.

"You must think I'm such a waste of space now."she said, a tear trickling down her cheek.

"No, I don't."he said, watching her nervously."I just think you need a human friend to help you, rather than a bottle."she scowled.

"Who are you to judge me?"she snarled. She suddenly leaned closer."I've never been kissed, you know. Want to show me what it's like?"

"Maybe when your sober."he said, and carefully pulled her into her room, where Eldarion had pulled back her sheets. Her brother took the princess into his arms, where she smiled gently.

"Eldarion, you're so good to me." he smiled as he lay her down.

"I know." he pulled the sheets up to her throat, and she was soon asleep. Eldarion gestured for Arash to follow him outside, where he locked the door behind him.

"I suppose I must give you a small explanation."he said as they walked off.

"You don't have to."Arash said quietly."I'm just so surprised to see her like that. It's like when we were on our tour, and that idiot Gwarth turned up and she just seemed to-"

"Gwarth?"Eldarion said, stopping suddenly. The look of fury on his face was frightening."What happened?"

"He tried to grab her, and kiss her, he accused her of being his lover. I stepped in and got rid of him, but I've never seen anything so bold. The contempt and disrespect he showed was just vile."Eldarion seemed slightly approving of Arash's reaction.

"Thank you, for standing up for her. He wouldn't have been so bold if someone other than you had been there."Eldarion glared at the horizon."What I wouldn't give to throw him into Mount Doom."

"Is he the reason she's so broken?"Arash asked nervously.

"Partly."Eldarion sighed."Look, she was scarred at fifteen, and all the marriage offers disappeared. All her friends, false friends they turned out to be, left her. All she had left was her family. She knows we love her, but she needs more than us. She needs a friend to love her and take care of her."Eldarion looked away."Gwarth led her on. He teased her, let her believe he loved her. She was so happy, she thought that she finally had someone to rely on and trust. She loved him deeper than any of us realised. Then...then one day she overheard him laughing with his friends. They'd bet him to let her believe he loved her, and he would get double if he bedded her. They were laughing because she'd believed in him so deeply.
It broke Dúniel's heart. She confronted him and accused him of treachery and betrayal, and he just laughed at her. She didn't come out of her room for a year, and we had to force her to eat and drink and just to live. She's lost all hope that anyone could want her now, and is too terrified to get close to anyone. Dúniel won't be able to handle being betrayed again. That's why she drinks, because it gives her some comfort, and hopes it will help her forget her troubles."Arash stared ahead blankly, horrified at what he'd just been told.

"Merenwen said she'd never been kissed, but how did he seduce her then?"Eldarion scowled.

"With words. He didn't kiss her once, which I for one am very pleased about. And we can't even put him in jail or anything because he didn't break any laws."

"No wonder she's so lonely and depressed."Arash whispered. "I can't imagine what she's going through. I mean, I known what it's like to be lonely, and betrayed, but not with something so extreme."Eldarion looked at Arash out of the side of his eye.

"Dúniel likes you. I can see it. She can see you've been through something similar to her."

"I won't hurt her."Arash said defensively."I'm a good man, Harad though I be."Eldarion chuckled.

"I certainly hope so."

"I won't tell anyone what you said tonight."the prince shrugged .

"I doesn't matter if you do, everyone knows. But it may be best not to tell Dúniel."Arash nodded.

"I do like her."Arash said quietly."I very much enjoyed her company yesterday."

"I'm glad. I hope that we can all become friends. I bet you'd be a fiercely loyal one." Arash nodded."Come on , then, we'd best get back to the party. The ladies of Gondor will have noticed your absence."Arash laughed.

"I fail to see what they see in me."

"Indeed ."Eldarion said with a cheeky grin.

"I should take offense to that, but I just can't hold grudges. But tell me, has princess Dúniel always had such a filthy sense of humour?"

"Oh yes, always. She's a bit of a black sheep, that girl."he grinned."I hope she wasn't too much to handle."

"Nonsense."Arash said breezily as they re-entered the hall.

His mind, however, was back with Dúniel, remembering how deeply hurt and upset she was, seeing in her eyes how badly she wanted someone to accept her, to love her. Arash sighed, knowing she'd want to know more about what had happened to him to help her through her own pain, and he wanted to help her. If only he could tell her the whole truth.

Authors note:

just to avoid any more confusion :D more will be explained about the whole Dúniel/Gwarth thing later. and Eldarion only spoke of Gwarth being a bastard because everyone in Gondor found out anyway (Gwarth being a bastard and all) and felt it best to clear things up and avoid Arash relying on rumours. hed never have spoken if what had happened had been very private to the family.

oh and i forgot to mention this to Sarahbarr17, who hasn't failed to give me honest opinions and queries (thanx) 16 is young, but im taking some writers licence in making it customary in harad for girls to marry quite young. Mazid is simply assuming Gondor has the same policies (besides, aragorn wouldn't let his daughters marry so young anyway. sixteen is the extreme minimum. remember, ppl married young in those days) thanx for all the reviews once more, and im not annoyed or anything! just thought i should clear this up if i didnt in the chapter properly. until next time!