How To Save A Life

Nauriel greeted her niece with open arms as well as Eldarion. They both looked refreshed and it would be clear to her now that they had already seen Beren and Ithilwen, Serethiel and Conleth. The fact that she was here now might filter into Narisa’s mind as important. Obviously they had told her what has been going on. At her mention Eldarion’s eyes lit up.

“We are quite excited...Calista is beside herself with delight,” he said obviously overjoyed. The queen seemed happy too but then she turned to Eldarion. “I’d like to speak to Narisa...alone Eldarion,” she said. As he bowed himself out she looked at Helen. “Helen...could we please have some tea? And perhaps something to eat?” She said lightly. Helen almost didn’t hear as she had been watching Eldarion’s backside as he stepped away. She nodded quickly though and nearly ran from the room to get them the tea and biscuits. Nauriel moved from the entry hall into the sitting room that was just off of the hallway. It wasn’t large but it was quite cozy and comfortable though sparsely decorated as of yet. She gestured for Narisa to sit and took a seat across across from her on a blue-cushioned chair.

The queen had her long, dark hair in a single but intricate braid that hung down her back. She was in a blue dress with gold embroidery, divided for riding and her cloak was gray with a very soft looking blue bear fur lining. Her boots were black knee-high boots with gold buckles down the front and she wore a wide black and gold belt with her black gloves tucked inside it and a dagger at her side in its sheath. She wore no crown but she sat regally and her gaze was one of experience and authority though she smiled warmly at her niece.

The King wanted to be here for the wedding,” she decided to begin with but alas, we were not able to get away,” she said apologetically. “As you know Ariana has returned to us and it getting her back into the fold has been taking our full time and attention along with the increase in raids as of late. I’ve heard tell that there have been several here as well?” She said but ended it all in the form of a question to hopefully get Narisa talking. She knew about Calaren’s...troubles, Serethiel had been explicit but thought that Nauriel might be better suited for that discussion.

Narisa followed her aunt from the entry hall down into the sitting room. Narisa was rather embarrassed by how sparsely decorated it was, but at least he had comfortable seating. She took a seat across from her aunt. Narisa looked up to both her mother and her aunt. She had grown up hearing stories of her aunt and uncle fighting in the war and admired her aunt for all that she had accomplished. She may not have been born to be a queen, but looking at her now no one would have guessed that. She sat up a little straighter around her and kept her hands neatly folded in her lap. She slowly nodded when her aunt asked her about the raids. It was clear that she had already been to see her grandfather and grandmother and perhaps also her uncle Beren and aunt Ithilwen.

"There has been one since I've been here and Calaren nearly died."

She then took the next few minutes to describe the circumstances surrounding the trade with the Northmen and the raid that followed.

"Calaren blames himself for the deaths of those that went with them and nothing I can say seems to help. I know perhaps it will take time, but in the meantime he's not behaving like the man I know. He's yelling at the healers and throwing things and even yelled at me. I just...I just don't know what to do."

Nauriel raised her eyebrows to that. Why is it that men put themselves into the center of everything? As if the world expanded and contracted with each breath they took. It irritated Nauriel to know end and yet she held more than a little commiseration with Narisa. Both Eldarion and her husband had done the same. To say she had experience with such things was an understatement.

“Sometimes men make no sense Narisa and it only makes more work for us women,” she said plainly. “Some more than others,” she murmured softly but loud enough for Narisa to hear and it was clear whom she meant. “He saved your life did he not? And refused to take any credit I imagine,” she said and shook her head and then thought a moment about the problem. A smirk crossed her lips as her eyes focused back onto Narisa. “What he needs is a problem to solve, one that ONLY he can solve,” she said. “How well off are his injuries? Could he get up if he ‘had’ to?” She asked and narrowed her eyes. She hated nonsense and feeling guilt for something you can’t control was exactly that.

Narisa was relieved to know that her aunt felt as she did. She had begun to feel as if she was not a good person for telling Calaren he needed to change his attitude. She blinked when her aunt went on to suggest that he needed a problem to solve that only he could solve. She liked that idea because it would give her husband a reason for getting up and would get his mind off of what happened.

"If he had to, yes, I am certain that he would," she responded. "I'm not sure though what the problem could be that he would need to solve..."

Nauriel tapped her upper lip as the tea was brought in. She paused as helen fixed it for them and left the cream and lemon out incase they wanted it. She bobbed a curtsy and stepped out quickly to show that Narisa didn’t tolerate sloth in her household. “Conleth mentioned something about those...Nefbrain or Neifbren? I’ve never heard of those horses before. That one has had an infection and won’t allow anyone near him to treat him. I saw that he is in your stables and the infection on his face healing but Calaren will see what he needs to see and even I can tell when something is in pain. Perhaps move out the other so it is alone and tell him that you’ve segregated it...or something fo the like,” she suggested as she sipped her tea.

More and more Narisa was being introduced to something that her own mother only touched on. Women had to manipulate their men in order to get them to do what they needed to do. Not always perhaps but sometimes. Her mother, her Aunt and her Grandmother all seemed to tell her the same thing and now it would be her opportunity to do the same if she felt she needed to. “I know it is in effect, ‘lying’ but we do what is necessary Narisa. Sometimes I’ve had to lie to keep my husband happy and working towards his goals. For the good of our household and also the nation that is Gondor. I’ve kept things from him or suffered alone in silence not because I want to mind, but because I must,” she explained. “Knowing when it is necessary is all apart of being a woman I’m afraid,” she said wearily then munched on a finger cookie.

Narisa listened closely to her aunt and thought for a long moment about her suggestion to use the red Neifbren as 'bait'. Calaren cared deeply about all horses and though it pained her to think about lying to her husband, she wanted him to ultimately be happy again and become the Calaren she knew and loved once more. She slowly nodded in agreement.

"I think that could work," she said. "That horse nearly died for him and I don't think Calaren would be able to stay away if he thought that it was in pain. I don't like the idea of lying to him, but I also can't let him stay like this any longer."

"Ofcourse you don't Narisa but sometimes we need to do what must be done...help him, help Calaren save himself if he can not do it alone. You know he'd never ask so its up to you to help him if you can," the queen said and took another sip of her tea. "Guilt can bring good men to their knees Narisa. It can fester like a disease and taint what was honest and good in a man. trust your instincts, you are of my blood after all," she said and smiled over at her.

Narisa slowly nodded and couldn't help but smile and blush a little at her last comment. She lifted up her tea cup and tried to emulate how graceful her aunt was. It was difficult for her to imagine her as the great warrior she once had been. But then again there were subtle signs of it...the way she quickly took in a room with eyes that never seemed to move...the calloused tips of her fingers from decades of archery...the faded scar on her collarbone from a dagger.

"How is uncle Elessar doing? I'm sorry that he couldn't come as well."

Nauriel smiled a knowing smile. "He is...doing well Narisa. Age is catching up with him as it is with us all. He enjoys his little ones far more than he admits and he is whole now that Ariana is back with us," she added. "We are anxiously awaiting the birth of Calista's twins. If they are sons I think he will be beyond pleased and it will be such a joy to see that," she said. "So you and Calaren are waiting then?" She asked. It was a foregone conclusion that there would eventually be children. Narisa and Calaren were young and healthy and loved one another.

Narisa hesitated at her aunt's question. She slowly put down her nearly untouched cup of tea and sighed a little. "To be perfectly honest I'm not sure if I want children. I don't know why exactly, but I like the idea of it just being Calaren and I. Free to do what we want and go where we want. Perhaps I'm being selfish though..." she said as she looked down, wondering how her aunt might respond.

Nauriel smiled even wider. "You are so much like I was Narisa. I thought very much like you do now but...but I learned how much it would mean to him and so I could not deny him. To be honest, I have found it difficult to deny the King much at all," she said with a wink. "And maybe you're not there yet but once a man's heart seeps into you you find yourself wanting what he wants and you aren't even aware of it until your belly is filled with his child. And then you end up wanting it more," she said with a light in her eyes.

Narisa sighed a little and picked her tea cup back up and took a small sip. She thought about what her aunt said but then looked at her.

"But how am I supposed to be a mother and also help Calaren with our horses? Soon we will have more and that itself will be a full time job. It's what I want to do. It's one of the reasons I came here with him, but at the same time I do not want to deny him."

Nauriel nodded approvingly and then it was past time that she needed to go. She hugged her niece for a time and kissed her cheek. “All will be well narisa, you will see. Trust your instincts and you will succeed at whatever it is you do,” she said and held her chin up to look deeply into her eyes. “Ah yes,” she said as if she gleaned something she had only suspected before but she would not speak of it. “Your grandmother wishes to have a family dinner in my honor tomorrow night. I would like to see you if it can be so,” she said and then departed. For a moment both women had stopped like statues and then when they saw Narisa looking at them they snapped out of the awe they were in at a visit from ‘the’ queen of Gondor.

Ooc: a new thread?

ooc-new thread