One too Many Choices

Narisa felt someone take her hand. It was a strong, warm hand and she knew then that everything was going to be alright. Slowly, her eyes fluttered opened and she saw first the face of her father and then her mother, who had tears in her eyes. Her mouth and throat felt as though they were stuffed with cotton and her lips were dry and starting to crack. There was pain in her side and she slowly began to remember everything that had occurred. The raid...the children...the arrow...Eagan and Calaren. What happened to the children? Were they safe? She started to open her mouth to ask, but her father answered her question before she could even ask it. The relief was visible in her eyes. She would not have been able to forgive herself had anything happened to any one of them.

Lindariel was holding back her tears as she looked at her now conscious daughter. There had been a long period when she hadn't thought she was going to live. But her daughter, like the rest of the Phelan women, was strong and she had pulled through. Lindariel's heart was nearly bursting with pride for her daughter, whom everyone in the village was already calling a hero. She took the cup from Inga and sat on the edge of the bed and gently held it up to Narisa's lips. Narisa drank a little, but would need to take it slow on food and drink while she recovered her strength.

"You gave us all quite the scare," she told her as she gently caressed her cheeks. They were still slightly warm from her fever, but it was clear that the fever was breaking.

He let her go so that Lindariel could hold her hand and fawn over her. However he was becoming impatient. Lindariel’s words had affected him and he felt that it was up to him to clear the air between himself and Narisa.

“May I have a moment, alone with Narisa?” Eomer asked softly. He saw Inga nod then curtsied a bow then left immediately. He looked at Lindariel but said nothing but his look was plain that he wanted her just to step back a little so he could speak to her. He waited until Lindariel was done then he returned to her bedside and took up her hand in his.

“I know I’ve been so hard on you Narisa, but now you understand don’t you?” He said softly. It was so hard to talk to her without breaking down but he managed it, barely. “You didn’t think, you just acted and your actions saved our people and their children,” he said as he kissed her hand. “Why didn’t you tell me you had your heart set on someone? Do you think of me as someone who does not want you to love the man you marry? If you told me about Eagan...I could have accepted him. I only brought in Calaren because I knew you had been close friends once. I just want to see my child taken care of, that’s all. Is that so wrong?” He said and kissed her hand a few more times then held it up to his cheek that was damp now. “As a King I couldn’t be prouder of my children. As a father I may not always tell you how much I love you but I do, very much Narisa,” he said though he heard Lindariel crying behind him. He turned and furled his brow at her. “Well, come on then and tend your daughter woman,” he snapped as he stood up.

Lindariel slowly stepped back, but stayed close in case her daughter needed her. She held her breath, wondering what Eomer was going to say to her. Narisa looked over at her father as he came to her bedside and took her hand into his own again. His eyes were soft and his voice even softer. As he began to speak she felt tears begin to come to her eyes. She had known in her heart that her father loved her, but to hear him say it was what she had wanted for so long....to know that he was proud of her. Tears began to stream down her cheeks and she found it impossible to stop them. She had worked so hard to gain her father's attention...to make him speak of her like he did Theodred. She knew that she wasn't like other women, but she knew now that she didn't have to be. She only wanted to be herself.

She wanted to speak...to tell her father she loved him too, but her mouth and throat were still too dry. However, he would be able to see from her eyes how much she loved him as well. She gave his hand a gentle, loving squeeze to let him know just how much his words meant to her. She promised herself that later when she was stronger she would really talk to him like she had wanted to for so long.

Just as Lindariel began to move towards Narisa again she heard Eagan and Calaren's voices outside as they drew close to the house...

“Now you’re just being foolish,” Calaren said. “Narisa loves you Eagan, can’t you see that?” He said. They didn’t know that their voices carried fairly easily right where they were between the house and a small shed. “Wake up out of...whatever hurt your in and move forward.” “Did you...did you sleep with her?” Eagan asked, his voice was just short of angry. “I certainly did not!” Calaren replied then there was a sound of scuffling. “Don’t you push me Calaren, or you’ll regret it!” Eagan said forcefully. “You’re just looking for a reason to be more of a fool Eagan, this has nothing to do with Narisa. This is all about your wounded heart and you simply won’t let it go,” Calaren said. “You’d chew off your own foot to get out of the snare you’re in,” he added. “You take that back!” Eagan said. “I happen to hold something like a promise as if it still means something, unlike you!” Eagan said then pushed Calaren again. There was more scuffling and then they began to fight again.

Eagan punches Calaren in the nose then Calaren countered with a punch in Eagan’s eye. They got to wrestling and bore one another down into the mud. By this time other soldiers had come by to watch and the two men traded blows and kicks and tossed one another about.

Eomer saw the look on Narisa’s face and he groaned. “Oh very well,” he relented. It was clear she didn’t want them to fight and so he left to go outside and break it all up. “What’s this now!” Eomer barked. There was a sudden hush of noise and then what sounded like a scramble of boots as the men moved to separate them. “There’s a lady inside that house that is worth more than either of you fools deserve! Go clean yourselves up and stop this foolishness or I’ll have you both mucking out stables for a month...do I make myself clear!?” He said loudly. “Y-yes sir,” Calaren and Eagan said in unison before they were dragged away to get cleaned up.

Narisa could hear Calaren and Eagan and it caused tears to come to her eyes. What had she done? What was she going to do? She loved them both. She loved Eagan's ability to make her laugh, even when she didn't want to, and she loved Calaren's free spirit, which mirrored her own. These were two of the best men in Rohan and Gondor and she held both of their hearts in her hands. She couldn't bear the thought of hurting either of them...and she couldn't bear to hear them fighting over her.

She was relieved when her father finally got up to go and break it up. Lindariel moved to sit on the edge of her daughter's bed and brushed away the tears on her cheeks. "It will be alright Narisa. You just need to get well now. Here, have some more water."

She moved and grabbed the cup and helped her daughter to drink some. Narisa then laid back, but looked at her mother.

"I...I want to see...them. They saved...my life."

Lindariel gave her a level look. Part of her wanted to do what she asked. This all had to be so difficult for Narisa, having feelings for two men. But she also saw how tired she was and thought that if she just had another day to rest. Several of she had anything to say about it but one could make all the difference. 

"Tomorrow Narisa, today you rest and I'll not have any fuss from you about it," she said gently.

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