Innocent Betrayal

The next day Brandt was scarce. He stayed with the others in one of the out buildings that would house everyone that came with them. He didn’t say anything to them though they asked. He had to figure out how to tell his father what had happened. If he told him that she almost died and decided to stay. He didn’t know if it would work but he didn’t know what else to do about that.

Eomer did ask him to join them for dinner that evening, he hadn’t known about the rift between them and he said he would go though he didn’t know why. It wasn't a large group, just their children, them and Laenaya. He bowed respectfully then took his seat quietly. He didn’t look at the queen, she was part of the deception that allowed her to avoid getting pregnant. Without a child to complicate things, she could rationalize leaving when it suited her. He watched as Laenaya sat and unfortunately the only place for her to sit was next to him. He did feel like a fool though. Gondorian women were far more crafty than those of the North. She outclassed him and was more intelligent than he was. He was some...country bumpkin to her. He sat looking at his plate. Narisa looked at him and also to Laenaya but said nothing.

Laenaya didn't sleep that night. She had just laid there in bed trying to figure out what to do. She wanted to go to Brandt and try to explain to him, but every way she came up with to tell him just sounded terrible. She knew why her mother had given her the herbs to take. She had only been protecting her. However, she wasn't sure Brandt would understand that, or want to understand that.

She wanted to decline attending the dinner, but she hadn't talked to her aunt yet about what had happened and not attending would rouse suspicion. She dressed, although she still wasn't feeling well, and went to the dining room. She saw Brandt there, already seated and the only empty spot was next to him. She sighed softly to herself before slowly walking over and taking her seat. She couldn't bring herself to look at him and so she looked down slightly.

She was...so beautiful he admitted. She had been since he first saw her. In these fancy dresses and finery she looked like she could be a queen. She was in his mind. But even as he thought about it, her being his sounded like some sort of hollow lie he had told himself. He tried not to think of all those heated nights where her desire burned like the coals of a bonfire. He couldn’t believe that all of that was false. A lie so that war would be averted. But he also felt that it could be...it could be he thought again.

He took her hand in his, he saw her stiffen when he did. He took it gently, two could play at this game and they ‘were’ a couple in her family's eyes. He would play his part, he needed this trade to happen. Once out of the city he would send two men to escort her back to Minas Tirith. He turned to smile at her but it never touched his eyes. Seeing them like that did appear to calm Narisa though. Theodred looked at Brandt curiously. He was as old as Laenaya and when they were younger they did things together that young kids did when they were curious about one another’s bodies. He had become quite the rider himself and had left to train with her Grandfather in Gehenna for 3 years.

“I hear you lost two men in the blizzard,” Theodred said to Brandt. Brandt nodded, “No, one was lost and we could not get to him in time. He froze to death before we could. The other was due to inexperience and incompetence,” he said plainly. He did not make it clear to exactly if it was the man that died who was at fault or Laenaya who knew well part of that was her fault. Theodred only nodded thoughtfully. ‘Do your people still have the dead’s of those you killed up on your walls?” he asked in a tone that sounded as if steel was being drawn. Brandt looked over at him, his eyes more...predatory now to the question. Laenaya would feel his hand tightly on hers almost to the point of pain.

“No,” Brandt replied as the soup was set down before them. “I, myself ended that practice and we will no longer attack the innocent nor raid your farms and villages. And I,” he said exclaiming the word, “Would never betray the trust that Rohan and Gondor has given me,” he said in a hard tone. Eomer tilted his head toward Brandt wondering what he was about tonight. He could not put his finger on it but the man seemed...upset about something. Lindariel looked uncomfortable as well.

“Brandt…” Lindariel began, “We do appreciate that there are men like you who see mutual advantage to peace between our peoples,” Brandt let go of Laenaya’s hand as she spoke. An indignant caste came over him and as she spoke he picked up his bowl of soup and ‘loudly’ slurped it as he tilted it to drink up the soup. He dunked a large crust of bread then tossed it back into his mouth, stuffing it in his mouth with his palm. His hand had soup on it and so he wiped is on his jacket. ‘We realize….it...couldn’t...have, been….easy,” she said increasingly more weakly as she watched him eat. Both Theodred and Narisa smiled at that and they picked up their own bread and started as they would do what he had done however an angry flash from their mother and they quickly picked up their spoons and sighed.

OOC: Lol, please let Laenaya just put up with this a while, I’m enjoying this alot. I’m trying to convey that they are still both very young. Without the emotional experience of adults.

Laenaya could feel the awkwardness set in between them almost immediately. She wasn't entirely sure what Brandt was going to do and so when he took her hand she was a little surprised. However, when he smiled at her she knew immediately from his eyes that this was all for show. She actually attempted to pull her hand away from his, but he held onto it rather tightly. She remained quiet as he spoke about the blizzard. His words stung her heart and the tremendous amount of guilt she had felt about Neelin's death came back to the surface. He hadn't directly blamed her, but she could sense that he was quietly blaming her. Brandt's grip on her hand tightened as Theodred began to question him. It was almost painful at this point. Her fingers were being crushed together. She tried to keep her expression neutral however.

Finally, the first course was brought out and he released her hand. She thanked the servant as he placed a bowl of soup before her. She placed her napkin on her lap and picked up her spoon and expected Brandt to do the same. She was rather mortified when he seemed to purposefully revert back to his old ways. The tension in the room was building. Her aunt and uncle seemed displeased with his behavior. As discreetly as she could, Laenaya slid Brandt's soup spoon over to him...praying he would take it and use it.

Feigning an abashed look he took up the spoon, “Thank you darling,” he said in an affectionate tone and he leaned over toward her and kissed her cheek before she could stop him. He leaned back straight again, took up the spoon and gripped it with his hand as if he didn’t really know how to hold it. He shoveled soup into his mouth but it was better than what he was doing, though only slightly. Thankfully the soup was gone and as others began to finish theirs the bowls were removed and chicken quarters roasted to a golden brown were set upon their plates with potatoes and cabbage.

“My Laenaya is quite the archer,” he said as he tore off the leg and stuffed it into his mouth with his hand. He bit off the end and crunched the bone and gristle along with meat. “A woman from my village,” he gestured with the leg toward Eomer who actually seemed interested. “Challenged her to a dual. In three shots Laenaya took her in the heart,” he said proudly as he took another bite of the leg. “It was a great shot,” he continued with a smile. Narisa’s eyes grew large at that and so did Theodred’s and Lindariel’s. Eomer looked...troubled by that and Laenaya suddenly saw that all of their eyes were on her now. Some horrified, others thoughtful, weighing.

Laenaya felt as if she had been both slapped across the face and punched in the stomach at the same time. Everyone looked at her and she felt her entire face turn bright red. She was horrified and couldn't believe Brandt had just said that. She could feel hot tears start to fill her eyes as she saw her uncle's expression. She felt like she couldn't breathe. She needed to get out. She had loved Brandt and knew she had hurt him, but he had just taken a knife and plunged it into her heart. Tears were starting to stream down her cheeks as she pulled her ring off her finger. She slammed it down on the table in front of him and fled the dining room.

Once Brandt saw Laenaya slap the ring down and get up to flee he snatched the ring back up into his hand and went after her. Lindariel stood but a hard, “No,” from him and she sat back down quickly, tears coming to her eyes as well. She did not know what was really happening between them but it concerned her. Laenaya was her niece and she loved her.

He chased her down the hall, the woman was fast but not as fast as he was in her dress and slippers. He saw her take a corner and he came right behind her. Catching her he grabbed hold of her arm and then her waist as she began to flail. Almost he had lost his grip on her he half lifted her up. As he did she half turned and began to rain down slaps upon his face, neck and chest as she began to sob. Seeing a room nearby he hauled her into it and shut the door behind them. He was angry now, some of her slaps hurt.

The room was a sitting room. Not large with a few loungers, chairs and baskets beside a few of the chairs. There were small tables and also a few shelves filled with books and other baubles he did not know what. As she fought he managed to sit down and then to her horror he lifted up her skirt and like she was a child began to spank her...HARD with his hand. She kicked and bucked but each time she did he settled her back down on his lap and smacked down hard on her bottom. Her sobs soon turned to yelps and cries for him to stop. He did not and continued until the fight was gone from her.

He helped her sit up, her eyes and cheeks now filled with tears. He held her wrists, he did not want to get hit again. He could not help get the anger out of his eyes but he was angry. He loved this woman completely even though he felt she did not feel the same for him. “Will you stop!” he said as she flailed again. He got a hand free and slapped him hard on the face. He grabbed her wrist up again. “I told you to stop that!” he growled and shook her. “I don’t know who is the greater fool. You for agreeing to all of this or me for falling in love with you!” He snapped. “I will let you go if you promise not to hit me or try to run away again!” he said harshly.

Laenaya rushed down the hall. She could hear Brandt's footsteps as he came after her. She didn't want to see him or talk to him. As he grabbed her she began to fight to get free. She struggled and began to slap, hit and kick at him. He managed to hold onto her and somehow pulled her into a nearby room. She continued to struggle as she felt him sit down and pull her over his knee. It was when he began to spank her like a small child that she began to flail even more. It hurt and eventually she began to cry. Finally he stopped and pulled her up to sit. She was angry now and wanted to hit him some more but he held onto her wrists. She managed to wrangle one of her wrists free and slappe him again. He grabbed it back. She looked hard at him as he spoke. Tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"When I was in that cave and thoughts was going to die the only thing I could think of was you! I knew then that I loved you but now I'm not so sure anymore."

He managed to control his anger at her words but just barely. “How…” Her words bit into his belly and made him want to vomit. “You are not the same woman that you once were Laenaya, you are more...and less,” he said as he looked at her. “You lie and expect me to be understanding. Well I am not. I didn’t want this any more than you did but I gave it my all, willing to take what comes. For you for our peoples. I never considered an escape no matter how much dishonor you might bring me. We of the North embrace the bad that happens and move forward. I thought that if I tried,” he felt like crying himself but just managed to hold it together. “If I tried my hardest to make you happy that you would be,” he said as he held out the ring to her in his palm. “If there is not love between us we still have our duty, I do not intend to ignore mine or go against the oaths I have spoken, will you?” He asked as his eyes flickered from her to the ring back to her again.

Anger burned in Laenaya's eyes. He didn't want to even hear an explanation from her as to why she did what she did. Well, he was going to hear what she had to say no matter if he liked it or not!

"Yes, Brandt things may have been hard for you, but I had to leave my family and the only home I had ever known to live with people I barely knew. Everything happened very quickly and my mother only wanted to protect me. I never intended to take the herbs for very long. I also wanted to get to know you better before having a child. However, you didn't want to hear any of this. You wouldn't give me a chance to explain. In that cave I realized I loved you and was thinking about no longer taking them. However, I am not sure who this man is before me. You knew how much I hated going through that duel and how incredibly guilty I felt about Neeln and yet you tell my family about them!" She was nearly sobbing now.

Her words confused him. He wasn’t a terribly bright man after all. His eyes drew down now beginning to feel guilty for what he had said and done. “So you think that because what you do is sanctioned by your mother and your aunt that it is alright? I...I was angry and upset Laenaya, I gave you everything I have. My home, my thoughts, my dreams, my body and my honor. I tried to make leaving your home as easy for you as possible no matter how weak it made me look to everyone,” he said feeling embarrassed and his cheeks flushed slightly just remembering how badly he was teased about that.

“Is a marriage in your land something that you can just walk away from?” It wasn’t in his either but rank had its privledges though she was instantly elevated when she married him. “Would any explanation you could make satisfy you if our roles were reversed?” He had remembered an argument between his own parents. His mother used this reasoning more than once.

"And I gave you everything I have," Laenaya replied back. "Perhaps I was wrong in this, but I honestly just wanted to have time with you before a child was involved."

She looked at the ring in his hand before taking it back. She didn't look at him as she put it back on. She walked towards the door. She stopped for a moment. "I got rid of the herbs," she said before walking out. She didn't return to the dining room but went back to the bedroom.