It's been but a few hours the festivities grinded to a halt and yet, the Great hall of the Kings stood quiet around it's even quicker queen, her dress' beautiful colours and her bright, uplifting smile now replaced with blackness. None of the lords dared move an inch in fear of either the queen's growing pain or interrupting lord Faramir, now Steward of Gondor, as he read the last lines of the king's letter.
Arwen felt her heart tremor with fear the moment she saw her friend's broken expression. The letter didn't help the matter either.
War.
How she hated that word. It only ever insisted on taking and leaving broken hopes and dreams behind. And now, as warning fires and sound of alarm bells rang throughout the city, the black lands dared to lay a hand on the love of her life.
Noone said a word, there was no need to, for the queen's sorrow was visible to all. All eyes turned to her expectedly as her voice, a quiet, pained song slowly filled the hall.
"My lords, I can offer you no words of comfort. This armada that rises against us carries in its bowels an old evil. A nazgûl that survived even the death of the one ring is an immediate danger to us all. If he were to dominate our people... Valar forbid he should succeed, for then there will be no more liberty in middle earth of conscience or of thought. Mordor, with taking my husband, your king, has declared war. We cannot be defeated."
The tension exploded into hushed and judgemental murmurs swept through the hall only to crash upon the wall that was the faithful Stewart of Gondor.
"Silence! There will be silence within the halls of their majesties!"
"The lord of Mordor is supposed to be dead!"
"What will the people think of us now? Such disgrace!"
"What are your orders, my queen?"
Arwen's features hardened as the straitened out her posture, now radiating every bit of regality demanded of her station.
"The bells are to ring from every tower. Laborers are to leave the fields and take up arms. The harvest must wait. Send messengers through the kingdom and warn all that are able-bodied to prepare for battle. Send an embassador to Rohan as well. They are not required to answer the call, for they have lost the most in the war of the ring, but they should know of the enemy at their doorstep. All prisoners are to be released. Those of lesser crimes may go free while the rest are to be drafted into the grand army to earn their keep. This is their kingdom too, after all."
A few more voices dared to sound as the lords bowed and scurried off to fulfill their given tasks. Only after the heavy doors of the hall closed with a loud thud did Faramir place a reassuring hand on her highness' shoulder.
"Do not worry, he's a ranger above all. If Éowyn doesn't find him first, he just might walk right back on his own."
"The alternative, however..."
There were not words in the world that could smooth his queen's pain, Faramir knew this. He simply sighed in understanding and escorted to her chambers, never once letting the mask of strength slip. Only once the doors of his own room closed with a quiet click did he allow himself to fall to his knees, his gaze turning to the world outside his windows in prayer.
Éowyn, my love, please, just be safe and sound.
~°•°~
It was dull work, but being stationed at the most western standing guardpost had it's advantages. That goes double for those that wish to regain their previous title that they lost to a walking CORPSE!!!
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Kingdom of the fallen
Fanfiction***UNDER EDITTING*** As a ranger of Gondor, Talion was slaughtered on the Black Gate with everyone he ever loved. However, Talion did not find peace in death. He was cursed, and resurrected, by a powerful wraith Celebrimbor, who reforged him into an...
