Chapter 13: Banishment

Recap: Chapter 12

Before any words could leave his lips, Eowyn burst into the room.

"Theodred!" she cried, tears springing to her eyes. She then noticed the closeness between her brother and her maid, narrowing her eyes. "I will take it from here, Aenil."

Getting up quickly, Aenil gathered her skirt into her hands, accidentally wiping the blood on it. She bit her lip from anything stupid she might say, annoyed at the rude tone from Eowyn. Never in her life had she been spoken to as Eowyn talked to her, and never in her life had she treated her own maids this way.

Looking once more at her brother, she bobbed into a less-royal curtsey, one she had been practicing for days. With one last look at Theodred she left the room, her thoughts on injured solider and how the King would take it…

Aenil sat in her room, brushing her golden white locks as she stared hard at the mirror, unseeingly. She couldn't stop thinking about Eowyn's brother, the knight whom had brought Prince Theodred into the Golden Hall. Where had they gone to be attacked so horrifically? Were there more wounded soldiers? Had the war already began, with Sauron growing stronger by the minute?

A knock at the door snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Come in" she softly called, placing her brush down on the bed.

Eowyn stepped in subtly, a small frown lingering on her lips, her eyes cast down as she softly closed the door behind her.

"Aenil," she started, leaning against the door in huff, "I need to apologize for my rudeness earlier. I had no right to snap at you the way I did. You did a good job wrapping his wound."

Aenil's eyes widened slightly, shocked by the Princess's apology. She had been working as a maid under Eowyn for atleast a few weeks, and had never been apologized to yet. Though not treated like a slave, it was an attitude that Aenil was unfamiliar with, yet had learned to accept in the past weeks.

"Thank you, Lady Eowyn, for your apology. I understand your situation. You feared for your cousin... is he alright?"

"He is resting now comfortably, thanks to you. Both Eomer and I give you our gratitude."

Eomer. That was his name.

"And ah, your brother… Eomer, he is alright as well, my Lady?" Aenil cautiously asked.

"Yes, he is fine," She responded curtly, narrowing her eyes slightly at the maid, "however, a few other men were wounded from the attack. As I know now that you can assist, I will need you to follow me to them."

"O-of c-course, my Lady" Aenil stuttered, immediately getting up from her bed. She hurried to the mirror, using her fingers to quickly comb her hair into a rushed, messy bun on the back of her head.

"Place it lower," murmured Eowyn, who had stepped closer to her by the mirror, "it frames your face better."

"T-thank y-you, my Lady" Aenil didn't remove her eyes from the mirror, too embarrassed. She undid her half-done bun, placing it lower to her neck, and ran her fingers through her shiny locks as she did it again. It was a new look from having it down everyday in Rivendell, a look that she still hadn't gotten used to yet. However, it was helpful when doing her chores, and kept it out of her face. Perhaps she might adapt the style when back home again.

Home.

She had been trying her best to keep her mind off Rivendell, Adar nîn, and Aragorn, Boromir, the Hobbits, Legolas…everyone. Yet they would come to mind often. She feared how they were, and if they were safe and alive. However, thinking about them brought a sick, sinking, feeling to her stomach, as she had no way of knowing if they were alright or not. If Gandalf was alright, and had made it to Lothlorien. What Father might possibly be doing right now, thinking she was dead. How Boromir felt… how Legolas felt.

"Aenil, we haven't got all day" Eowyn's sharp voice cut through her trailing thoughts.

"I apologize, Lady Eowyn." Picking up her dark skirt, still smeared with Theodred's blood, she followed the Princess out the room in a rush, pressing her fears and thoughts to the back of her mind.

Trying to keep up with Eowyn's speed, she paused slightly as she heard Eomer's voice in the Golden Hall.

"My Lord, please listen" he began, his voice tight.

Eowyn paused as well as she heard her brother's voice, quickening her pace to the throne room.

Eomer turned when he saw her enter the room, his eyes widerning slightly when he locked eyes with Aenil trailing behind her. He closed his mouth, staring at her.

"Your son is badly wounded, my Lord." Eowyn softly began, stepping in front of her brother, facing her Uncle with her shoulders straight.

Eomer broke eye contact with Aenil, as if remembering where he was, and turned to face his Uncle as well. "He was ambushed, by orks. If we don't defend our country, Saruman will take it by force."

"That is a lie"

Aenil stepped back as the serpent slithered from behind a pillar, obviously having overheard the siblings' one-sided conversation with King Theoden. She felt a shiver tingle up her spine as she stared at the black haired, greasy snake walk towards the King. She watched Eowyn's back straighten, her fists curl at her sides.

"Saruman the White has only ever been our friend, and ally." Grima hissed, his gaze passing over Eomer towards Aenil. He sneered, a glint coming to his eye. Eomer turned, seeing the interaction, and stepped to the side, blocking Grima's view of her.

He frowned, leaning down towards the King who was muttering something too low for any of the three to understand or hear.

Angered, Eomer took a step forward. "Orks are roaming freely across our lands. Unchecked, unchallenged, killing at will! Orks… bearing the white hand of Saruman."

He dropped a broken helmet at the feet of King; a large white handprint adorned on the front. Aenil's eyes widened, her shock causing her to stumble back. She knew Saruman, had met him in her home with Adar nin and Grandfather. He was a wizard as well, and had come to meet with them at times to discuss peace in the lands, and to catch up with Grandfather Gandalf. She could never have expected this, and feared that Grandfather knew already before he went to him for help. She placed her hand on her chest as she felt it tightening, fear and worry rushing through her.

She watched Grima as he took in the helmet, shock and fear written across his face. Yet, the second it was there, it was gone, as he learned back towards the King. "Why do you lay all these troubles on an already troubled mind?" He looked into the eyes of the King who had turned to watch the Serpent. "Can you not see your Uncle is wearied by your malcontent… your war-mongering."

She watched Eomer stiffen at his words. "War-mongering?" he questioned, taking an aggressive step towards the greasy snake, and grabbing him by the front of his shirt.

"How long has it since Saruman bought you?" he growled, shoving him against the pillar, leaning close into his face. Aenil was trembling as she watched the anger radiate off him.

"What was the promised price, Grima? When all men are dead, you would take your share of the treasure?"

Too entranced by the scene happening in front of her, Aenil hadn't noticed Eowyn coming to stand beside her, grabbing her by her upper arm to bring her to the wounded soldiers. She had clearly heard enough. She watched as Grima looked over Eomer's shoulder to stare at the two women, his eyes widening as he rested his eyes on Eowyn, before narrowing them on Aenil.

Eomer pushed Grima back up against the wall, breaking the staring contest of the two.

"Too long have you watched my sister," he growled, tightening his grip on the man's throat, "too long have you watched the women of the Golden Hall. Too long have you haunted her steps."

Eoywn kept dragging her out the doors, ignoring her resistance as the guards came up behind Eomer and grabbed him by the arms. She locked eyes with Eomer as he struggled against the guards, a whimper escaping her as she watched one knee him in the stomach as he resisted.

"He's being banished" Eowyn breathed, letting go of the maid's arm to bring her hand up to cover in mouth in shock.

The two women stood shocked as Eomer was dragged out of the Golden Hall, and watched as Grima grew a wicked smirk across his face, as he rested his gaze on the two of them.

Guys - WAY LONG overdue! To my followers that have still stuck around for the story, please leave a comment below to how the chapter went! I hope to get more chapters out soon before the end of Summer!

Nishi