A/N: Thanks to:
DesolateAznVamp
Salty Peanut Butter - Thanks for telling me about Eomer, who he married and
about his son. I'm not actually going to change it now, because I'm pretty
sure he doesn't really come into the story again. But to everyone else, I
did make a mistake, as pointed about by Salty Peanut Butter (thanks), Eomer
married Lothíriel, the daughter of Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth and they
had a son named Elfwine, so in my last chapter I just made it up. Please
forgive me, but I'm glad you like it anyway.
*&*
I had excused myself from the party momentarily, to get a breath of fresh air and a bit of quiet. Parties always made my head swim.
I could see from the position of the moon that it must have been nearing two in the morning, and I sat in a bench, enjoying the cool night breeze that teased my clothing.
A low moan grasped my attention, and I rose from the bench. I found the source a little way into the hedge labyrinth I had painstakingly created. The guard I had sent after Isolde and Bria lay on the floor, a cut across his forehead and a lump rising on the crown of his head. He opened his eyes when he felt my hands on his cheeks.
"Princesses." He whispered, then fainted. I gave a frantic high whistle, and soon five guards ran into the labyrinth.
"There's been an attack." I said shortly. "Two of you follow me, the other three, take the injured guard to his room, then organise a search for Princess Bria. Do not interrupt the party. Be silent and subtle. Understood?"
"Majesty." They saluted, and three separated off and the other two followed me as I made my way skillfully through the labyrinth.
I found Isolde in a dead end. She was lying on the floor, whimpering. I knelt beside her while the two guards stayed alert for danger. "Isolde." I whispered. She opened her eyes slightly.
"Majesty! They, I...I ran. Bria told me to. She said she'd hold them off." I nodded. That was like Bria.
"Shush, little one. Where do you hurt?" I asked softly.
"My wrist...and my head. They hit me with something." I nodded, running my hands over her scalp and finding the rising bruise. Then I checked her wrist. It was broken.
"Isolde, one of my guards is going to pick you up, and then I'm going to take you to a room where you'll be safe. Alright?" She nodded a little, although the movement made her wince and tears spring to her eyes. I stood and waved one of the guards forward. He picked her up effortlessly, cradling her in his arms. I led him to my room in the palace, the other guard following behind, acting as rearguard.
He laid her gently down on the bed, and I stroked her hair back from her face. There was a knock on the door, and one of the guards opened it, sword drawn. It was one of the three I had sent away.
He came in and knelt before me. "The Princess is missing, your majesty. She's not within the party, and the palace is in the process of being searched. But..."
"In all likelihood she's being abducted." I said shortly, fighting the panic rising within me. If she was hurt... "Can you explain this?" I asked, holding up a pendant I had found en route to find Isolde. The guard looked at it, then shrugged.
"It looks similar to something the desert elves wear. Other than that, I don't know." I nodded, and began wrapping Isolde's broken wrist in a bandage.
"I want you to go around the party, and get the rulers from as many lands as you can assemble." I said crisply, forcing myself to shift into business mode in order to override my worry for Bria. "Legolas, Éomer, Aragorn...and their wives if they want to come. Also...Faramir and Éowyn of Gondor...and Kera and Jacon. They all need to hear this." The guard started to the door. "And get Lissmar of the desert elves." I called. "I want to see if she can identify the pendant." He nodded swiftly, and was gone. I turned to the two guards. "Soon I'm going to be talking with the other rulers." I began. "I want you to guard this door. No one goes in or out unless I'm with them, and I specifically give you permission. I don't care if they claim to be her parents. No one gets in or out. If there are too many to defend against, do your best and make a hell of a racket. Isolde, lovely, if you hear them shouting, I want you to get under the bed. There's a panel on the wall that slides aside, and a space behind it. Go in there and slide the panel shut. You must do this. Do you understand?" I asked. She nodded.
"Your majesty...do you think there will be trouble? Only they didn't try and kidnap me earlier. They just hit me on the head." I smiled, and kissed her forehead.
"I don't think there will be any trouble, little one. But I don't want to take any chances, all right? So you must do as I tell you." She nodded.
"I'm sorry I said those nasty things about you..."
"Like I said, little one, I forgive you, and it's alright. Now try and rest." She snuggled into the pillow, and there was a knock on the door. I opened it, and the guard bowed.
"They're all in the reception room, your majesty." He said. I nodded. I moved out the door, and shut it deliberately behind me. The two guards had assumed their post on either side of the door, and I noticed the guards at either end of the hallway also. I don't know who arranged it, but I was glad that they had.
The guards bowed as I passed, and I walked between the guards by the door to the meeting room. Looking around, I saw everyone who I had specified was here, standing in small groups around the room. I stood by the big chair that stood by the round table in the centre of the room.
"Friends!" I called. All conversation ceased, and everyone turned to me. "Please, sit. We have urgent matters to discuss." They sat around the table, and I took my place in the big chair.
"There has been an assault inside the palace." I began calmly. I clenched my fists on my lap to stop my hands trembling. "The Princess Bria has been taken. Princess Isolde in currently resting in my chamber, which is guarded. She was struck on the head, and has a broken wrist."
"Isolde! I must go to her!" Mairra cried, and rose.
"They won't let you in." I said flatly. "I gave direct orders that no one was to be let in without me, and I will not postpone this meeting so that you may reassure yourself of the truth of my words."
"My daughter is hurt!" Mairra protested.
"Your daughter is not the only one." I said calmly. "Nor was she the only princess given free reign around my palace this night. Many...most of us have children who were free to roam. I have told the dina sikils that live here to shadow their footsteps. Your children are as safe as I can make them without infringing on their freedom. And the dina sikil are the most skilled of the warriors here."
"Dina sikil?" Éowyn asked.
"Silent knife." I translated. "They began as a cult of assassins, but they are now more bodyguards."
"My daughter deserves-" Mairra began haughtily.
"To be left in peace without your constant worrying." I snapped coldly. "Now hold your tongue. Your daughter is as safe as possible, and now we have to worry about eliminating the threat, rather than guarding our children from it." I laid the pendant on the table before Lissmar, the tawny haired ranger who came from the desert and knew it like the back of her hand. "Lissmar, do you recognise this?" She glanced at it.
"Of course. It is the symbol of one of the Haradrim nomad tribes. Each has their own symbol, and the guards wear the pendant to identify from which tribe they come from." I nodded.
"Do you know which tribe this is?" I asked. Lissmar nodded, then frowned.
"My lady...if I could speak freely..."
"Of course."
"This symbol belongs to the Ennuia tribe, which is from central Harad. If memory serves correctly, their queen died recently. There is the possibility they took Bria to succeed the late queen." I frowned.
"She's queen of a nomad tribe? I can't believe that's very prosperous." Mairra said. I sent her a warning look, but she either didn't see it or ignored it. "Why does it matter? She's queen there, all you need is another child and you'll have an heir."
"Princess Mairra." Kera said tiredly. Mairra looked over at her. "Do us the ultimate favour, and shut up." Mairra stared in shock at her, then turned to me.
"Aren't you going to reprimand her?" Mairra demanded.
"No, I'm not. And in answer to your question, I'm barren now. Bria is my first and last child. So I'm going to get her back. I brought you here to talk about that. Lissmar, what are the chances of us going after her?"
"With you? I think the Haradrim should be afraid, milady." Lissmar said with a slight smile. "Seriously, though. You could probably catch up with them if you left fairly soon, I imagine."
"Very well. I brought you here to discuss that." I said to the group. "I'm going after her, but I can't do it alone. Will you help me?" I asked.
"I'll go." Aragorn said immediately.
"And I will." Legolas put it. Mairra sent him an offended look, but he ignored it.
"And I shall." Éowyn put in.
"If I might make a suggestion?" Lissmar said. "You shouldn't take a much bigger group than that, or you would be slowed down. In the desert, less is always more. I think you four only should go." I sent Lissmar a suspicious look. She was up to something, but I didn't know what. I knew she would never harm us, so what was she up to?
"Very well." I said finally. "It will just be us four. I assume I'm asking a ridiculous question when I say that it will be safe to believe those who remain behind will rule well and fairly in our stead?" there were grins around the table. "Very well then. Legolas, Mairra, I'll show you to your daughter's room, and then I'm going to bed. This night has already been far too long." There were murmured agreements around the table.
*&*
There you go, my third chapter this weekend, I'm very proud of myself. I hope you all like it, and I'll try to keep updating regularly. Istalindar
*&*
I had excused myself from the party momentarily, to get a breath of fresh air and a bit of quiet. Parties always made my head swim.
I could see from the position of the moon that it must have been nearing two in the morning, and I sat in a bench, enjoying the cool night breeze that teased my clothing.
A low moan grasped my attention, and I rose from the bench. I found the source a little way into the hedge labyrinth I had painstakingly created. The guard I had sent after Isolde and Bria lay on the floor, a cut across his forehead and a lump rising on the crown of his head. He opened his eyes when he felt my hands on his cheeks.
"Princesses." He whispered, then fainted. I gave a frantic high whistle, and soon five guards ran into the labyrinth.
"There's been an attack." I said shortly. "Two of you follow me, the other three, take the injured guard to his room, then organise a search for Princess Bria. Do not interrupt the party. Be silent and subtle. Understood?"
"Majesty." They saluted, and three separated off and the other two followed me as I made my way skillfully through the labyrinth.
I found Isolde in a dead end. She was lying on the floor, whimpering. I knelt beside her while the two guards stayed alert for danger. "Isolde." I whispered. She opened her eyes slightly.
"Majesty! They, I...I ran. Bria told me to. She said she'd hold them off." I nodded. That was like Bria.
"Shush, little one. Where do you hurt?" I asked softly.
"My wrist...and my head. They hit me with something." I nodded, running my hands over her scalp and finding the rising bruise. Then I checked her wrist. It was broken.
"Isolde, one of my guards is going to pick you up, and then I'm going to take you to a room where you'll be safe. Alright?" She nodded a little, although the movement made her wince and tears spring to her eyes. I stood and waved one of the guards forward. He picked her up effortlessly, cradling her in his arms. I led him to my room in the palace, the other guard following behind, acting as rearguard.
He laid her gently down on the bed, and I stroked her hair back from her face. There was a knock on the door, and one of the guards opened it, sword drawn. It was one of the three I had sent away.
He came in and knelt before me. "The Princess is missing, your majesty. She's not within the party, and the palace is in the process of being searched. But..."
"In all likelihood she's being abducted." I said shortly, fighting the panic rising within me. If she was hurt... "Can you explain this?" I asked, holding up a pendant I had found en route to find Isolde. The guard looked at it, then shrugged.
"It looks similar to something the desert elves wear. Other than that, I don't know." I nodded, and began wrapping Isolde's broken wrist in a bandage.
"I want you to go around the party, and get the rulers from as many lands as you can assemble." I said crisply, forcing myself to shift into business mode in order to override my worry for Bria. "Legolas, Éomer, Aragorn...and their wives if they want to come. Also...Faramir and Éowyn of Gondor...and Kera and Jacon. They all need to hear this." The guard started to the door. "And get Lissmar of the desert elves." I called. "I want to see if she can identify the pendant." He nodded swiftly, and was gone. I turned to the two guards. "Soon I'm going to be talking with the other rulers." I began. "I want you to guard this door. No one goes in or out unless I'm with them, and I specifically give you permission. I don't care if they claim to be her parents. No one gets in or out. If there are too many to defend against, do your best and make a hell of a racket. Isolde, lovely, if you hear them shouting, I want you to get under the bed. There's a panel on the wall that slides aside, and a space behind it. Go in there and slide the panel shut. You must do this. Do you understand?" I asked. She nodded.
"Your majesty...do you think there will be trouble? Only they didn't try and kidnap me earlier. They just hit me on the head." I smiled, and kissed her forehead.
"I don't think there will be any trouble, little one. But I don't want to take any chances, all right? So you must do as I tell you." She nodded.
"I'm sorry I said those nasty things about you..."
"Like I said, little one, I forgive you, and it's alright. Now try and rest." She snuggled into the pillow, and there was a knock on the door. I opened it, and the guard bowed.
"They're all in the reception room, your majesty." He said. I nodded. I moved out the door, and shut it deliberately behind me. The two guards had assumed their post on either side of the door, and I noticed the guards at either end of the hallway also. I don't know who arranged it, but I was glad that they had.
The guards bowed as I passed, and I walked between the guards by the door to the meeting room. Looking around, I saw everyone who I had specified was here, standing in small groups around the room. I stood by the big chair that stood by the round table in the centre of the room.
"Friends!" I called. All conversation ceased, and everyone turned to me. "Please, sit. We have urgent matters to discuss." They sat around the table, and I took my place in the big chair.
"There has been an assault inside the palace." I began calmly. I clenched my fists on my lap to stop my hands trembling. "The Princess Bria has been taken. Princess Isolde in currently resting in my chamber, which is guarded. She was struck on the head, and has a broken wrist."
"Isolde! I must go to her!" Mairra cried, and rose.
"They won't let you in." I said flatly. "I gave direct orders that no one was to be let in without me, and I will not postpone this meeting so that you may reassure yourself of the truth of my words."
"My daughter is hurt!" Mairra protested.
"Your daughter is not the only one." I said calmly. "Nor was she the only princess given free reign around my palace this night. Many...most of us have children who were free to roam. I have told the dina sikils that live here to shadow their footsteps. Your children are as safe as I can make them without infringing on their freedom. And the dina sikil are the most skilled of the warriors here."
"Dina sikil?" Éowyn asked.
"Silent knife." I translated. "They began as a cult of assassins, but they are now more bodyguards."
"My daughter deserves-" Mairra began haughtily.
"To be left in peace without your constant worrying." I snapped coldly. "Now hold your tongue. Your daughter is as safe as possible, and now we have to worry about eliminating the threat, rather than guarding our children from it." I laid the pendant on the table before Lissmar, the tawny haired ranger who came from the desert and knew it like the back of her hand. "Lissmar, do you recognise this?" She glanced at it.
"Of course. It is the symbol of one of the Haradrim nomad tribes. Each has their own symbol, and the guards wear the pendant to identify from which tribe they come from." I nodded.
"Do you know which tribe this is?" I asked. Lissmar nodded, then frowned.
"My lady...if I could speak freely..."
"Of course."
"This symbol belongs to the Ennuia tribe, which is from central Harad. If memory serves correctly, their queen died recently. There is the possibility they took Bria to succeed the late queen." I frowned.
"She's queen of a nomad tribe? I can't believe that's very prosperous." Mairra said. I sent her a warning look, but she either didn't see it or ignored it. "Why does it matter? She's queen there, all you need is another child and you'll have an heir."
"Princess Mairra." Kera said tiredly. Mairra looked over at her. "Do us the ultimate favour, and shut up." Mairra stared in shock at her, then turned to me.
"Aren't you going to reprimand her?" Mairra demanded.
"No, I'm not. And in answer to your question, I'm barren now. Bria is my first and last child. So I'm going to get her back. I brought you here to talk about that. Lissmar, what are the chances of us going after her?"
"With you? I think the Haradrim should be afraid, milady." Lissmar said with a slight smile. "Seriously, though. You could probably catch up with them if you left fairly soon, I imagine."
"Very well. I brought you here to discuss that." I said to the group. "I'm going after her, but I can't do it alone. Will you help me?" I asked.
"I'll go." Aragorn said immediately.
"And I will." Legolas put it. Mairra sent him an offended look, but he ignored it.
"And I shall." Éowyn put in.
"If I might make a suggestion?" Lissmar said. "You shouldn't take a much bigger group than that, or you would be slowed down. In the desert, less is always more. I think you four only should go." I sent Lissmar a suspicious look. She was up to something, but I didn't know what. I knew she would never harm us, so what was she up to?
"Very well." I said finally. "It will just be us four. I assume I'm asking a ridiculous question when I say that it will be safe to believe those who remain behind will rule well and fairly in our stead?" there were grins around the table. "Very well then. Legolas, Mairra, I'll show you to your daughter's room, and then I'm going to bed. This night has already been far too long." There were murmured agreements around the table.
*&*
There you go, my third chapter this weekend, I'm very proud of myself. I hope you all like it, and I'll try to keep updating regularly. Istalindar