I know my normal readers aren't used to me updating so fast, but the reviews you guys are leaving are really helping me stay motivated. This chapter is longer than the last, but I'm not sure how I feel about it. It's not my best work, but I hope you enjoy anyway!

Chapter Six (Mareke)

Aragorn had tried to protect Adnan and I for as long as he could. We were allowed three weeks before anyone besides his council was alerted of our presence in Minas Tirith. I was awoken on the day all of that changed before the sun.

"Good morning, Your Highness," someone said briskly. I blinked my eyes open and they focused on an older woman with a tight, gray bun standing over me. "It is time to get your day started. Since you are here before your wedding, you now have plenty of time to learn your duties as Queen."

She pulled the covers off of me and bid me to stand. I was not used to such an unceremonious waking. Adnan and I had been on our own schedule for nearly a month.

"My name is Lady Ioreth and I have been assigned by the King to make sure you are acclimated to Minas Tirith and all that is expected of you."

I nodded, though I was still half asleep.

"We will try to stick to the same routine every morning, which will have you up before the sun and going about your duties by the time your son is ready to go to his tutors."

Another woman stepped forward.

"This is Lady Belethiel," Lady Ioreth said.

The other woman was much younger than Ioreth, though older than me. She gave me a gentle smile and small curtsy. "She will serve as the Prince's governess and nurse."

My stomach turned over. I had known that the noble women of Gondor treated their children differently than we did ours in Harad. At home, Adnan had only been cared for when there were ceremonies or events lasting long into the night that I attended or on the very rare occasions when I was required by my father to attend some meeting or entertain visitors. Other than that, he was rarely out of my sight.

"Your son will be in the most capable of hands. She has worked for the best families in Minas Tirith,," Ioreth assured me.

"Very well," I managed to get out.

Lady Belethiel left immediately, heading for the nursery door. It was to start that very moment.

"Now let us get you prepared for the day," Ioreth said, leading me into the bathroom, none too gently.

Her hands were at the hem of my nightgown and before I could react she had brought it over my head and I stood before her and the other ladies-in-waiting, three besides Ioreth, completely naked. I tried desperately to cover myself with my hands. I knew in Gondor they were modest, so I had not expected such an action, but the women were going about preparing me as though it were just another task that had to be performed.

"You should not have any shame, Your Highness," Ioreth said with a light laugh. "This is part of our job. Step into the tub," she said and I did as she ordered, still trying to conceal at least a little bit of my naked body.

Two of the women lifted a bucket over my head and dumped warm water over me.

"This will help us save time. Many of your days will be quite busy," Ioreth assured me.

The other women forced me to sit down and took up rags and soap. If anyone had seen how I was being treated, they might have assumed that I was the lowliest of servants and not a Queen. They rubbed at my skin until it hurt and was red. They seemed to be washing everything foreign off of me.

Ioreth took my right arm roughly in hers and turned it this way and that surveying the tattoo of a snake around my bicep. "We will have to make sure that you do not wear fabric too light to cover that up."

Next, she took my left hand and surveyed the tattoo that went all the way from the base of my third finger to my nail bed. "I am not sure what we will do about that."

I jerked my hand away from her and clutched it to my chest, not saying anything.

When the women were satisfied with their scrubbing, I was pulled to my feet and just as roughly dried with a linen sheet.

I did not touch anything. A heavy, floor length robe was placed around my shoulders and tied around my waist.

"Now sit and the women will prepare you for the day. Today being a day designated for learning, you will not have to be dressed so formally, but they will prepare you as though you do." Ioreth beckoned for the women to approach me and I was pushed down in front of a vanity.

A comb was instantly taken to my curly, wet hair and I wanted to shout in protest. They had never seen hair like mine and they were not only hurting me, but guaranteeing that I would look like a fool when they were through with me.

"Could I make a suggestion?" I asked, biting back a yelp of pain as the comb was drug through the tangles from the crown of my head to the ends.

The women were exasperated and they looked to Lady Ioreth for her consent. She eventually nodded when she found that their techniques were not working.

"Let it dry," I said quietly. "It becomes unruly when you brush it. It will be much easier to style if you let it dry on its own."

"Very well," Lady Ioreth said, actually taking my word.

I sighed in relief when the comb was put down and the pain in my scalp ceased.

The woman who was, I figured, going to be in charge of my appearance began to place pots and vials on the vanity.

"Just close your eyes and let me take over," the woman said kindly. I did as she asked, solely so I would not have to see what she had in store for me.

Abruptly, something soft smashed into my face and some sort of powder flew into my nose, making it extremely difficult to breathe. Something was then brushed all over my face, then my eyes, my cheeks, and then a more firm brush moved across my lips.

"Open your eyes," the woman bid me.

I almost yelped in fright when I did as she told me. My face was practically six shades lighter than the rest of my body, there was garish red on my cheeks and lips, and my eyes had a thick layer of green on them.

"What do you think?"

I almost asked if that is truly how the women of Gondor composed themselves, but I had seen some of them and they did wear quite a bit of makeup.

"I think I will fit in just fine now," I said quietly.

As we moved into my bedroom, I heard Adnan crying in his. I immediately went to go to him, but Lady Ioreth laid a hand on my arm.

"You must let him adjust to his new life," she said quietly. "Once he sees that the other children are accompanied by their nurses, he will grow used to the idea and not cause such a fuss."

He was not causing a fuss. He had to be terrified. Never in his life had someone he did not know wake him up in the morning. He had never woken to an unfamiliar face or voice.

In that moment, I realized just how difficult this transition would truly be. "Will I ever spend time with him?" I asked lowly.

"Of course you will!" Lady Ioreth laughed. "If time and your schedule allows you will be able to have lunch with him.

Between my new appearance and the news that I would practically never see my son, I felt as though I was being pummelled over and over again.

One meal a day. That was nothing. Since Jibran had left to fight in the North, Adnan and I had hardly spent a waking moment apart and sometimes we spent our sleeping moments together as well. I could not live on only seeing him once a day for an hour at best.

The sound of his crying was tearing at my flesh. I had never been good at allowing him to self-soothe especially after Jibran was gone. I needed the comfort of his soft little body just as much as he needed me.

I did not say anything to the older woman though. What could I do? I had known that everything would be different than it had been in Harad.

"Now, you do not need to wear anything formal today. You will not be meeting with anyone important until this evening when you will be dining with the King."

Before she could go on about my wardrobe for the day, I looked at her beseechingly. "Would it at least be possible for me to bid him a good day before he goes to his tutors?" I asked Lady Ioreth. "Please?"

She sighed. "Fine, but I am not sure how long I will be able to let it continue."

"I am grateful for anything."

"Send for Lady Belethiel and Prince Adnan," Lady Ioreth directed one of the serving women.

I sighed in relief.

A moment later, Lady Belethiel pulled my son into the room. He was still sniffling and his body was being rocked by the aftermath of his sobs, which only happened when he was truly upset.

I knelt down and held my arms open. My son began to move towards me, but when he saw my face he stopped in his tracks.

"Mama?" He asked cautiously.

"I know. I look a little...different," I managed to say as politely as I could.

"What is going on?" He asked, still not coming to me.

"Some things are just going to change," I said quietly. "We will do our best to be adaptable, will we not?"

He nodded and finally walked into my arms. I breathed in the scent of his hair.

"Be brave. We will figure all of this out soon enough," I whispered in Haradrim. "I miss home too," I assured him.

Lady Ioreth cleared her throat and I stood, watching dejectedly as Adnan was taken back to the nursery.

"You will have to curb such affection," she said in my ear. "It is not appropriate. It really does more harm than good for a child."

I kept my back to her and did not say a word. I wanted to lay down and cry, defeated, or lash out at her..

"Now let us get you dressed for the day."

I was pulled into my room and saw that a dress and shoes were already laid out for me. It was nothing like what I wore at home, but I had not expected the Gondoran people to be alright with my revealing way of dress. They were more modest than I had been raised to be. Women were not nearly as decorous in Minas Tirith as they were in Harad.

"First things first, petticoats," Ioreth said. She gestured at the woman, some secret signal, and before I knew it I was naked before them once more. I did not even bother to cover myself.

The waist of the white, puffy skirts were held for me and I stepped into them.

"Now your corset. You have a very trim figure, but this will help add some curvature." Lady Ioreth held the garment in her hand. I had had dresses made at home that I would have brought with me if I had had more time, but I had never seen what she was holding.

The older woman reached around my chest and covered my torso with the stiff fabric. "Hold onto the bedpost, Your Highness," she bid me.

"What?"

"You are going to want to hold on for this."

Cautiously, I did as she instructed and gripped the bedpost with both hands. I felt her tying the laces of the corset. Quickly, the breath was forced from my chest as she gave them a hard pull. Ioreth continued to fight the garment for a long while, before she was finally satisfied and had tied the strings.

"Is it supposed to feel like this?" I asked.

Lady Ioreth laughed. "You will get used to it."

The heavy dress was unceremoniously dropped over my head and roughly adjusted over the corset. I had never felt so suffocated. Between the corset and the overbearing dress, I was not sure that I would be able to function for all of the tasks that Lady Ioreth hinted at.

I moved awkwardly toward the full length mirror propped against one wall of my bedroom and stared at myself. I barely recognized the woman staring back at me. I looked like some sort of jest in the makeup and the dress was unflattering to say the least. The dark blue fabric was extremely modest with a high neck and long sleeves. You could see nothing but my hands and face. From what I could see the corset had not done much to help my boyish figure and only proved to be uncomfortable.

No one asked what I thought, which I was thankful for. I was not sure I could have lied any longer. As long as I was allowed to remain silent, all would be well.

"Now, let me show you around a bit," Ioreth said.

I lumbered out of my private chambers behind her. The shoes they had given me were pinching my feet and I could not speed up my pace because I was not taking in nearly enough air.

"Here is where you will tend to your correspondences," she said, pushing a door open and showing me a small study with a beautiful desk. There were bookshelves behind it and fresh flowers on the desk. "You will also plan for any occasions you are having here. You will be required to plan the meals and entertainment. Once you have decided all that you will just have to get instructions to the kitchen and to myself and I will oversee the execution of your plans."

I blanched. I had no idea how to plan a proper event that would meet with Minas Tirith standards.

"And while you have your own small private dining room for yourself and the King, this is where those important enough will dine privately with you." Ioreth opened another door and I saw a table that would seat about ten people. There were sideboards with all manner of serving dishes and glassware set up around the table. I did not even know if I could properly eat around the refined people of Minas Tirith. "It is a great honor to be invited to dine privately with the Queen," Ioreth added.

The rest of the day passed slowly. I went into my small study and began a letter to my father, trying to tell him that all was well, that it was even better than I had expected it to be, but my hand refused to write those words. I could not lie. Everything was worse than I had expected it to be. From my clothes to being separated from my son, everything seemed to be worse than the low bar I had set for the experience.

Ioreth sat in the corner of the room, going over a menu that I had made with her help. I would have a few trial runs and she would correct any mistakes I had made. That night, my sole audience would be the King, our first private meal.

I had tried to think of what type of food he might like, but the man was a practical stranger. We had eaten together a few times, but I had never seen him particularly excited about one dish or another. I had actually only seen him smile at all in regards to my son.

"Alright, it is about time to get you ready for dinner," Lady Ioreth said after a few more hours of aimless sitting, pretending to write a letter.

"Would you like me to have that sent for you?" She asked, gesturing at the piece of parchment on the desk.

"Oh no, I do not think so," I said, glancing down at the scribbles I had made. "I will finish it tomorrow."

She nodded and led me back into the bedroom. I did not want to think about what had to be done to prepare me for dinner with the King.

It was a redoing of the same process. More makeup was applied, my corset was redone, and I was put into an even more restrictive, formal gown. My hair was pulled into a tight bun at the base of my neck and it pulled so that my eyes watered.

"You should entertain the King in the sitting room. There will be a flagon of wine that you can serve him from on the sideboard and I will summon you when dinner is ready," Lady Ioreth instructed.

I nodded and sank into a sofa when Ioreth retreated into another room. I stared out the window for a long while. It was the first moment of peace, without someone breathing down my neck all day. The sun was setting and sky was painted in oranges and purples.

My head snapped toward the door when it opened unexpectedly and a man came in in the King's livery.

"King Elessar is here for dinner, Your Highness," he said imperiously.

I struggled to stand under the weight of the heavy dress and the restraining corset.

The King nodded to the man as he entered and when the door thudded closed we were alone.

He did not speak for a long moment. His gray, weary eyes studied me intently.

"Princess Mareke, you look...breathtaking," he finally said, though he seemed to have struggled to come up with a suitable, inoffensive word for my appearance.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I had my official Minas Tirith makeover today."

"It is quite the change," he said, moving to take a seat on the sofa across from the one I had been sitting on. "And I asked you to call me Aragorn," he reminded me.

I glanced over my shoulder. I was sure Lady Ioreth would not approve of such a thing.

"Forgive me. Can I get you a goblet of wine?"

"No, thank you. I try to stay away from the stuff," he said.

"Oh, I see."

"But please, do not abstain for my benefit."

I shook my head. "That is alright," I said as I sat on the opposite couch.

No one said anything for quite a while. I alternated between staring out the window and looking back at the King offering small smiles on the few times we made eye contact. I imagined I had never looked less attractive.

"Dinner is served, Your Majesty, Princess Mareke," Lady Ioreth said. She had entered the room so quietly that I jumped when she spoke.

"Very well. Thank you, Lady Ioreth," I said formally, again struggling to stand.

The King watched me curiously. I knew I did not have to impress him because our marriage had already been agreed upon, but I was still embarrassed.

He politely extended his arm and I laid my hand on his as gracefully as I could manage. The heavy doors were opened into my very small private dining room. Two places were set and Aragorn pulled my chair back so that I might sit. One of the attendants had stepped forward to do the same thing, but Aragorn waved him away.

"Is Prince Adnan not joining us?" He asked, as soup was ladled into a bowl before him.

Once more, I glanced at Lady Ioreth.

"He is taking his dinner in the nursery." I had not meant for my voice to betray my feelings in such a way, but the hurt and confusion was evident when I spoke of my son.

"Ah, I see," Aragorn leaned back in his chair. He looked around at everyone in the room. There were attendants lined up along the walls, Lady Ioreth chief among them. "Would you all leave us?" He asked. "I believe the Princess and I can take care of ourselves this evening,"

"Are you sure, Your Majesty?" Ioreth asked, stepping forward. "It really is no trouble-"

"I am positive," he cut her off sternly.

I looked down into my bowl of soup as everyone cleared the room and I did not look back up until Aragorn spoke once more. "I can tell that you find all of these changes disagreeable."

I shook my head. "No, Aragorn, I was expecting everything to be different. Different is not always disagreeable. I expected this."

"Well I did not," he replied. "I had no idea what they would do to you."

"I have not been harmed."

"No?" He asked. "Perhaps not physically, but I can not have your past life completely erased in the matter of one day. I would have put my foot down if I had known what was going to happen."

I did not want to ask him what he expected. He saw the women of Minas Tirith every day. I was going to have to be just like them to be their Queen.

I felt completely uncomfortable in the conversation. All day, I had been lectured on the importance of formality and here the King of Gondor was wanting to speak frankly.

"Really, it is alright."

"How much time have they allotted you to spend with your son?" He asked evenly.

I had to bite the inside of my cheek to stop the tears from flowing at that question. I had tried to avoid thinking about Adnan and how we were practically being torn from one another after spending all of his life attached.

"I will see him before he goes to his lessons in the morning and if my schedule allows we will be able to have lunch together," I said quietly. On a good day that would amount to less than an hour.

"And that is alright with you?" The King asked, a challenge in his voice. I did not want to be challenged by him. I did not want to acknowledge was what was going on. He had lived away from the court of Minas Tirith for his entire life. He did not understand what it was like. I, at least, had had an idea.

"Before today, I have seen you with your son. I do not believe that you two have the type of relationship that can be sustained on such little contact. It will not do either of you any good."

I shrugged. "It is how things work here."

"Who decided that?" He demanded a little roughly. "It was certainly not me. Am I not the King here?"

"I am sorry to have angered you," I replied quietly.

"I am not angry with you." Aragorn threw his napkin down on the table and stood. "You have not touched your dinner either. Would you care to take a walk instead?"

"Some fresh air would be most welcome," I replied, standing once more, which left me practically gasping for air.

Aragorn escorted me into the garden, waving Lady Ioreth away when she walked towards us. Two guards were allowed to trail us, though.

Immediately, Duma came running up to me as we walked onto the path. He nudged his muzzle into my free hand, disappointed that it was not Adnan who was outside.

"Does Lady Ioreth know of his presence?" The King asked, nodding at the cat.

"I do not believe so."

"I will make sure she knows that he is to remain here peacefully."

"Adnan will appreciate that."

Aragorn's long legs were going quicker than I could in my outfit. He was very tall, but so was I for a woman and would have normally had no trouble keeping up.

"Could we sit down for a moment?" I finally asked, when my vision began to swim.

He looked down at me. "Are you alright?"

"Winded is all," I replied.

"I did not take you for that type of woman, I must admit."

I gave a faint laugh. "No, neither did." I pressed a hand to my sternum and felt my chest and abdomen straining against the tight corset.

"Do you have one of those blasted garments on?" Aragorn asked.

I nodded. Before I knew what was happening, he had reached into the back of my dress and was pulling the ties of the corset undone.

When it was loosened, I took a deep, gasping breath as though I had been underwater for an hour. I came back to my senses and looked at the King. He had no reservations about touching me or helping me. I knew it was not because he was all of the sudden attracted to me. He was also foreign to his court and much more forthright than I had imagined.

"I have never seen anything more idiotic than those damned things," he grumbled, standing once more.

Well there you go! Let me know what you think! Seriously, your reviews have been so motivating! Also, let me know if there's anything you want to see in this fic. These characters are so open to possibilities and I cannot imagine them all, so feel free to help me out!

Happy reading,

Avonmora