Chapter Two: In Which Luna Travels to Rohan
It did not take long for Callum and Melyanna to fall in love with the little girl named Luna. For the first few weeks, she longed for her home and the couple did everything they could to help find her family, but to no avail. And while she was very sad and often cried herself to sleep, she immersed herself in her new home during the day. In those first few months, she asked for things like "telly-vision" and "eye-pad". She was confused by basic rooms such as kitchens and latrines. She constantly asked for small things that Callum and Melyanna were certainly not accustomed too, such as cold milk and colored writing utensils. But soon, she adapted under the couple's care, and she learned a new way of life. She stopped asking about her homeland and her true parents, for Dol Amroth became her home and Callum and Melyanna became her parents.
As she grew older, Luna frequented the palace, taking tutelage under her new mother's wing. As her second year in the kingdom approached, the Princess of Dol Amroth grew weaker. Lumps had formed on the young woman's breasts and Melyanna spent countless hours searching for solutions. Luna was not permitted around the princess. Melyanna deemed her too young to witness such heartbreak. And Prince Imrahil deemed the same for his own daughter, who shared an age with Dol Amroth's newest resident. Thus grew a friendship between the Stablemaster's Daughter, Luna and the Princess of Dol Amroth, Lothiriel.
However, in the coming years, it became clear Luna and Lothiriel would need to learn their own traits. In the absence of her mother, Lothiriel took lessons with Ulfion on politics, arithmetic, and geography, to name a few. Luna continued to follow her mother around, learning the skills of plants, herbs, medicine, and healing. She was also blessed to learn the skills of her father's horsemanship, spending many days and nights in the stables, tending, tacking, feeding, shoeing, and riding the prince's horses.
Though their skills were immensely different, the two girls remained as close as sisters. And it was by Lothiriel's insistence that Luna was invited along on a very important political engagement.
"How exciting for you, my dove," Melyanna said, spooning the evening meal into her bowl. "To be invited to visit Rohan alongside the royal family; it is such an honor."
"Father will be coming as well," Luna said, blowing steam from her spoon.
"Indeed I shall," Callum confirmed. The old man could not deny he was extremely excited. He had been to the Horse Kingdom once as an apprentice in his youth, long before taking the title of Stablemaster. He was gleeful to return, to say the least.
"What exactly will you be doing in Rohan?" Melyanna asked. "It's not as if you will be breeding the prince's mares?"
"Alas, that is still unlawful in their lands, or so Lothiriel says," Luna explained. "No, Prince Imrahil travels there to propose a political alliance with King Theoden, I believe."
Callum nodded his head. "Our prince does not often speak highly of Lord Denathor. It seems the steward is reluctant to travel there and make his own alliances. He sends Prince Imrahil in his stead."
"I wonder what this will gain our country."
Luna smiled at her mother, but did not offer her own suggestion. For she knew the answer. Lothiriel had just turned eighteen. The two girls had long speculated on the properties of this trip, and they had come to one conclusion.
Before the death of his wife, King Theoden of Rohan had sired one heir, Prince Theodred. Lothiriel was all but certain that she was the political alliance her father wished to propose in a union between herself and the horse-prince.
Luna had never traveled further than the inlands of Belfalas and she was careful to pack every essential she would need, both for the road and for the time spent in the city of Edoras, Rohan's capital. She had even packed the one truly nice dress she owned at Lothiriel's insistence. The young princess was certain a ball would be thrown in her family's honor, and Luna would be her guest.
"I said three bags, Luna," Callum said, strapping his own to his horse.
"Pepper can carry four Father," she said, dropping her saddlebags to the floor and opening the stall of her own black mare. Pepper's birth was the first Luna had helped her father with and, while she was technically the property of Prince Imrahil, Luna was her true master. She walked to the wall where supplies were hung and bagan sorting out her tack.
"Luna," her father said, his tone serious. "Before we leave, I just want to make sure you understand the nature of this journey."
"Of course I do," she said with a feeling that she knew more about the nature of the trip than her father. "Prince Imrahil rides on a diplomatic mission on Lord Denathor's behalf."
"Yes, and there is a place for us there. Lothiriel rides with her father-"
"As does Amrothos."
"Yes, but I do not worry about you distracting Amrothos. I worry about you forgetting that Lothiriel is Highborn. This is your first time outside Belfalas. I do not wish for you to embarrass yourself. It is fine for your friendship with Lothiriel to be so casual here, but when she is playing the role of a diplomat in a foreign king's house, things must be different."
"Lothiriel and I have discussed this already. Really, Papa, you have nothing to worry about." She dropped the cloth she had been using to wipe down her saddle to put her arms around Callum's waist.
The Stablemaster sighed and hugged his daughter back. "There is another thing. The prince wishes to keep your past a secret from Rohan's royal family."
Luna backed away from her father. "Like we did when Lord Denathor visited?"
"You were much younger then, and Lord Denathor had no eyes for a peasant's daughter. But, yes, dove."
"I hardly remember any of it, anyway."
Callum chuckled. "Yet you still insist on coloring your toenails."
"The Horseking will not see my toes, I promise."
"I know it pains you to keep it a secret, but we still have no answer as to how you came to be here."
"Mother says Ulmo brought me here to be your daughter because you couldn't have children of your own."
"Do you still truly believe that?"
Luna sighed. "I want it to be the truth."
Callum made to respond, but the stable doors opened then. In came two swan knights, their royal guard for the journey. Callum and Luna worked to ready the horses for the guard, Imrahil, Amrothos, and Lothiriel, who came excitedly into the stables a half hour later.
"Luna, I simply cannot wait! The journey will not be easy, but I intend to make a great joy of it!" Lothiriel squealed.
"You do?" Luna asks, confused.
"Of course she does," Amrothos said, giving his sister's shoulder a squeeze. Amrothos was two years the girls' senior and while she wasn't as close with him as Lothiriel, Luna still considered the youngest prince her friend. "Lothiriel has never been one for gloom and dread."
"Are you looking forward to the trip, lad?" Callum asked.
"Indeed, Master Callum. I am just simply jealous that Lothiriel's first venture outside of Belfalas is to such an exotic location. Minas Tirith is wonderful, of course, but there is something so mysterious about the horse-people."
"No need for jealousy, Amrothos," Prince Imrahil said. "For you have been to the White City, while Lothiriel and Luna have not."
"I do wish to see it someday," Luna said. Her mother had trained in Minas Tirith's Houses of Healing and had told her many tales of the White City.
"No doubt you will," Amrothos said. "Mistress Melyanna has spoken of your skills in our own Healing House."
Luna blushed at the compliment.
"Come," Imrahil said, strapping the last of his bags to his saddle. "We waste time speaking of Rohan, when we will be there sooner if we begin our journey.
Luna didn't need to be told twice. Once outside, in one swift motion, she mounted Pepper and settled into the saddle. It was going to be a long ride.
It was a long journey indeed. By the end of the first night Luna's thighs were sore and tired. It was not often she rode for such long hours. They took rest at the edge of the Mering Stream. The party would follow the stream to Rohan's borders, through the White Mountains. Amrothos had tried to spook Luna and Lothiriel with talk of ghosts living in the mountains. Luna simply rolled her eyes.
The two swan knights erected two tents, one for Lothirel and Luna, one for Imrahil and Amrothos. Callum insisted on sleeping beneath the stars.
"Lothiriel," Luna said, pulling her silver hair from it's plaits, letting fall over her shoulders. "Are you really as excited for this trip as you said to Amrothos?"
"Of course I am. Why would I lie?"
"It's just...I thought we had deduced why this trip was taking place."
"You speak of Prince Theodred." Luna nodded, earning a small sigh from Lothiriel. "Luna, you do not wish me ill will on this journey?"
"Of course not. I would never wish ill will upon you. I just don't understand how this prospect could excite you so."
"Prospect?"
"The prospect of this marriage arranged by your father and a king you have never met."
"Luna, this prospect is not foreign to me," Lothiriel explained. "I do not speak of these things with you often. You are my dear friend and an escape welcomed from the world and duties I was born into. But this is simply one of these duties."
"To marry someone you do not love?"
"My parents were lucky," Lothiriel said, crawling into her sleeping cot. "It is not often that royals are found in a love match. My Aunt Findulias certainly wasn't. I never expected to be. Dol Amroth is the second ranked post of royal Gondorian line. Only my Uncle Denathor outranks my father and he sired only sons. I am the highest noble-born female in the country. It is not a surprise that my marriage will not be my own choice."
Luna sat on the edge of her friend's cot. "Lothiriel, this cannot make you happy."
"Have you any knowledge of the Rohirric Prince?" Lothiriel asked. "I have very little, but what I have is good. He is a strong soldier of twenty-one years. His mother is dead, as is mine. Most importantly, he is known as a kind man. That does not seem like the kind of man I cannot grow to love in time."
Luna had never heard of such a thing. Of course, parents meddled in their children's love-lives. Fathers may refuse a man's request for his daughter's hand. But arranging the marriage for their child before ever letting them meet? The thought churned Luna's stomach.
Luna did not think of herself as a romantic. When she was small, she developed feelings for Lothiriel's middle brother, Erchirion. He had asked her to dance at Yule celebrations when she was eleven years old. But her feelings faded when she grew older and began to see the royal family as an extension of her own. There was also one of her father's stable boys when she was thirteen, but he had moved to Osgiliath and her feelings faded again. Melyanna would walk Luna through the town square and occasionally suggest men to Luna, but she felt very little at these suggestions. She couldn't imagine Melyanna and Callum forcing her into a marriage.
She tried to think further back in her life. Perhaps this was a thing in the world from whence she came before Callum rescued her from the sea. Every single memory of her life before Middle-earth was blurry. What memories she had of her birth parents were happy, but she had no notion if their marriage was arranged or not.
"Please trust me, dear friend," Lothiriel said, pulling her blanket up to her neck. "That I know what is best for myself and my country."
"I will try," Luna whispered, crawling into her own cot. It would be a short night before they found themselves back on the road, and she would have to rise before the princess to cook morning fast.
The trip continued smoothly and lengthy. Occasionally their small party would happen across a farm or homestead that granted them stay on their lands and hot, home cooked meals. But for the most part, they kept to the seven of them. Luna kept mostly by Lothiriel's side on the journey, occasionally joined by their fathers or, more often, Amrothos. Their two swan knights were named Enir and Fostir, respectively. Luna had known Enir for many years, as he was only a few years older than her and Lothiriel. Fostir she knew as a longtime guardsman to the prince, but other than that, nothing.
In four days they had reached the cavern that led the Mering Stream through the White Mountains. They camped at the base of the cliffs before setting through the caves the next morning. By dusk, they had emerged on the other side, crossing the border into Rohan. Five days more of weary travel and the party had made it to the border of Edoras, the royal seat of Rohan.
"I am not complaining in the slightest," Amrothos said, "But I am happy to have finally arrived."
Luna was not excited. The conversation she had shared with Lothiriel that first night of travel had been hanging between the two friends, casting a shadow over every conversation they had. Lothiriel was certain marriage to the horse-prince was her duty. Luna was cartian her best friend would not be happy, thrust from her home into one of a man she did not know. In a land she did not know. Luna surveyed the vast, grassy plains, so different from Dol Amroth. The absent smell of the sea hung in the windy air. It was clean, but for the occasional whiff of farms, cows, and manure.
"Make sure to pay attention to the horizon," Callum said to the group. "As we near the capitol, the hall of King Theoden will come into view. Meduseld, The Golden Hall, they call it."
"Why is that?" Luna asked.
"You will have to wait and see," her father teased.
Luna and her party did not have to wait long. Their horses climbed yet another great hill of the plains and, at the peak of its descent, Luna saw it. In the afternoon sunlight, a golden sheen flashed on the roof of the largest building they had seen since Dol Amroth's palace. It illuminated the town in rays of sunshine.
"Is it...thatched?" Lothiriel asked. Luna's worry for her friend increased. The princess wasn't impressed.
"Indeed," Imrahil answered. "And its beauty will be noted to our hosts."
Lothiriel nodded to her father with a straight face as Luna did her best not to kick Pepper into a faster gallop. Tension was growing amongst the group, though she doubted her father, perhaps even Amrothos, could not sense. Luna knew her friend. Lothiriel would not want to live here.
Despite her impatience, it did not take them long to reach the stables of the town. Faces adorned with straw-colored hair bowed to their party as they passed though. Fostir had pulled out the prince's standard, a silver swan embossed before the white tree of Gondor on a field of dark blue.
At the stables, a young woman, perhaps the age of Luna and Lothirel stood at the doors. She wore a dress of foriegn fashion, colored a crisp white. "My lords and lady," she said, bowing before the prince and his children. Callum had long since motioned for Luna to fall back with him, behind the swan knights. "It is an honor to welcome you to Edoras."
Imrahil descended his horse, as did Amrothos. Lothiriel stayed atop her own. "Thank you for your kind words," Imrahil said. "Is the king not to greet us?"
"Alas," the girl said, looking to the ground. "Theoden King is not well today. His health sways more often than not in a well direction. Today, however, he finds himself under the weather."
"And Prince Theodred?" Luna winced. This poor girl did not deserve Imrahil's harsh tones.
"Theodred rides for Edoras swiftly. He has been occupied as of late with-"
"Lady Eowyn," I harsh voice called from behind the group. Luna turned and was face to face with a man she instantly did not like. Every sense about him put her stomach in knots. HIs hair hung from his face in limp, unwashed strands. His form was thin beneath a thick, black coat, though the weather and sun combined made the day rather hot. His eyes, however, were what caused Luna's unease. Though blue, like her own, they shown with a sort of craze, a frenzy Luna had never seen before. Wide, bloodshot, and unsettled eyes.
The girl who had greeted them seemed to shrink two sizes as the man neared her. "Forgive me, Lord Grima."
"Did I not tell you to alert me as soon as this party had crossed into view of Meduseld?" he demanded.
"Uncle had said I was to greet them."
"Your uncle is not well, child," the man spat. He turned to Imrahil and Amrothos. The seasoned prince did a much better job of hiding his shock from this situation than his son. "Do forgive the girl, Imrahil Prince. And do forgive Theoden King for his absence."
"And Prince Theodred?" Imrahil asked. "Am I to forgive his absence as well? The girl here was just about to tell me why he is not here to greet myself and my children."
The man, Grima, looked uneasy with the question. "He will arrive, I can assure you. I shall let the prince defend himself, my lord, if you will permit it. He would prefer it that way." He turned back to the girl, Eowyn. "Show our guests to their chambers. I will take your knights to the barracks."
"And what of us, my lord?" Callum asked Grima and the royals departed the scene. "Do you wish for us to tend to our horses, or would you wish we not impose on your stables?"
Girma turned back to Callum and Luna, annoyed. "You are a servant, yes? Serve your prince. Do not bother my stableboys with your triflery and do not bother me with your questions again."
Luna grew red at the face. "My father is Stablemaster of Dol Amroth," she said in a low, angry voice. "He is a trusted member of the prince's staff and handpicked to accompany the royal family on this journey to your homeland. He did not come here to be treated as you have just treated him."
The greasy lord's face erupted in fury. "You will tame your daughter," he said to Callum "Or I will tame her for you. Do I make myself clear?"
"Clear as Ulmo's waves, my lord," Callum said, pulling Luna behind him.
Grima surveyed Luna, his bloodshot eyes squinting for the first time at her. With a sake of his head, he turned back to the swan knights and bid them to follow.
"What were you thinking?" Callum said, placing both hands on her shoulders. "Speak when spoken too, that was the first rule I gave you."
"I will not apologize for defending you to that man."
"That man is a noble in the horse-king's hall. When Prince Imrahil learns of this-"
"I would hope that when he learns of this, that nobleman is chastised for the way he spoke to you."
Callum shook his head. "I will go and try to find out our lodging arrangements. Perhaps I can find Prince Imrahil and explain before that man can. You will untack and groom the horses."
"All seven of them? By myself?"
"We are here all of ten minutes before you forget your place. Perhaps this will help you remember."
Luna grabbed Pepper's reins and those of her father's horse and pulled them into the stable. As Lord Grima had suggested, there were no stableboys to help her. In groups of two, she brought in all of the horses, leading them into empty stalls that bore no labels for the horses they were supposed to contain, nor food, hay, or water. She glanced out a window at the sky. It was probably around four o'clock. She wouldn't be done in time for supper and she prayed her father would find her a plate. Luna was not used to getting punished, for she did not often act in the wrong. That was how she knew she had truly done a wrong in her father's eyes, but she couldn't bring herself to be sorry. That man Grima may be a nobleman, but her father was the noblest man Luna would ever meet. She was sure of that."
She started on her work, taking solace that her father was not there to tell her to tend Imrahil's steed first. She started with Pepper instead, singing softly under her breath as she pulled brushes, combs and picks from her father's saddlebags.
"You deserve a flagon of Rohan's finest ale, Mistress," a voice said, causing Luna to jump and drop her tools. A young man stood in the door of Pepper's stall, leaning against the fram, his arms crossed. He was straw-headed, the same as nearly everyone in this land, with green eyes that were much softer than his hard, tall exterior. "Forgive me," he said, moving from his perch and reaching down to grab the dropped instruments. "I thought you would have heard me enter."
"I was lost in thought, I suppose." She cleared her throat and took back her brush and comb. "Why does a stranger owe me an entire flagon of ale?"
"For telling off Wormtongue, of course. Only Theodred Prince speaks to him like that."
"I thought his name was Grima?"
"Aye, but he twists as a worm and speaks words with just as much intelligence."
"No doubt he is as slimy as one as well."
The young man laughed. It came from deep in his chest and it was so genuine, it made Luna smile. "Would you care for some assistance?" he asked.
"I'm afraid if my father came back to find you helping me, he would be rather cross. Tending our party's horses has been deemed my punishment for the outburst."
"No doubt there are worse punishments. Would you at least take some company? Surely your father would not punish you further for that. He would think it rude, I would assume?"
"There may be some truth to that. You may stay, but I might know your name first."
He smiled. "Eomer, Son of Eomund."
