| Subject: The beginning of the end [again i might add] |
Author:
Aragorn and Namun
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Date Posted: 18:03:02 01/04/03 Sat
The warmth of the castle wormed its way into his numb fingers as Minas Tirith’s king pushed the outside door closed, locking the world of innocent snowball fights firmly outside. He reached his study without attracting the attention of too many servants, his robes discarded on his wife’s bedroom floor. It was as if he was no longer the same person. King Elessar had vanished to be replaced with Strider the ranger. His old hide coat still smelt of the empty moors. It carried memories.
While attention was drawn to him as the king it seemed to veer away from him as Strider. Outside his study door he waited until Cannyc’s familiar figure appeared. The servant ignored him until Aragorn caught hold of his arm.
“Please could you ask Arainamün Girion to join me in my study?”
It took a moment for Cannyc to associate the wandering vagrant with his king, but once the connection was made he rushed off.
*****
A knock. “Come in, Namün.” Aragorn looked up as the door swung open but the person who walked through it was not Namün.
“Cannyc?”
“She’s not in the kitchen, your majesty.”
Aragorn raised his eyebrows. “Then go and find her.”
"The kitchen staff say she, er, hasn't been there since yesterday afternoon," the man said uncomfortably. "They assumed she was with you."
"Obviously she isn't," he snapped irritably. Cannyc flinched and Aragorn sighed. "Please, Cannyc. It's very important that I see Namün as quickly as possible."
*****
Namün lay on her bed, her eyes tracing the cracks in the ceiling. The fingers that twisted anxiously together came to an abrupt halt as a soft knocking at the door echoed into the draughty chamber. She sat up and swung to the floor, brushing errant strands of hair from eyes that were both crowded with worry and flashing from irritation at being disturbed.
"Arainamün?"
"What is it?"
"His Majesty asks if you would please attend upon him at your earliest convenience. It's very important."
As important as the future of your child? she wondered silently, but managed to keep her voice relatively calm to reply.
"I'm sorry, but it's not a good time. Will you please make your excuses to Elessar for me?"
"He's not going to be happy," the servant warned her.
"Well he'll have to live with it. Maybe His Majesty should realise that we don't exist just for his pleasure!" she snapped, falling back to her pillow. Cannyc waited for a few moments, and then came the sound of a door closing resignedly.
*****
"She won't come?" he asked again, the shock still lingering in his voice.
Cannyc shifted uneasily under his monarch’s steely gaze. "No, your majesty."
"Did she say why?"
"She did not."
The flicker of emotions that played over his face assured Aragorn that the man was with-holding something but Cannyc was obviously uncomfortable enough already. He rose from his chair and paced to the window, each muscle tense. "Perhaps if you tell her I am planning on leaving the city by noon she will reconsider." He stared out across the snowy courtyard, one hand resting on the window frame, the other clasping the Evenstar tightly. "I have to speak to her before I go," he said turning back. "Please bring her here, it important."
*****
“Please Arainamün, King Elessar is planning on leaving the city by noon! You have to go to him," Cannyc pleaded with her.
"I said no." Namün remained immovable.
Losing his temper, Cannyc near shouted "I insist you come with me!"
“Insist? Insist!" Namün’s eyes narrowed dangerously as she lost her fragile control on her fraught temper. "What will you do?" Abruptly she held out her shaking wrists. "Will you drag me to him? Bring me there unwilling? Treat me as the whore you believe me to be?" Only the slightest quaver in her voice let slip the fact that she hovered too near tears. Cannyc observed her indecisively. "No," he admitted, defeated, "I won't. What should I tell him?"
She turned and stalked away, composing her face. "You can tell Aragorn that I am not his lap dog! I do not come on his command, nor will I sit, stay, beg or roll over.” Slamming the door shut, and realising that by now she was playing with fire, she added furiously, “I’m not a toy!”
*****
Swiftly he moved through the corridors, Cannyc running after him, desperately trying to halt his progress. Heads turned as the two passed by but no one spoke. The palace was deathly silent.
Outside her room Aragorn stopped, one gloved hand reached for the doorknob.
"Sire, I don't think it would be wise-" Cannyc managed before the latch clicked open and Aragorn had disappeared inside.
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