Princess of Arnor - The King's Regent (Under Edit)

Chapter Twenty Eight: Morgul Work

"No it was just the Queen,"

Haleth dreamed she was walking through the hills around Fornost, her blade in hand, calling for her brother to face her. Two figures approached, dressed in black and crimson robes, their faces covered in black scarves. "You will make a fine sacrifice, Wardress. As will your father, but you will not be able to save him," said the first figure.

"Haldar, your voice betrays you, you address me as Wardress now," said Haleth.

Haldar removed his scarf, "Is that not the title our father gave you, over me, your brother, who should hold that title by right," he said.

"You gave up that right when you betrayed our people, many have suffered on your account," said Haleth.

"And they will come to know the mercy of Melkor, the Great Master has opened my eyes, and I have sworn to serve him. There are many blessings for those who submit to Melkor, if not, they are offered to him in sacrifice. It is all the same to me," said Haldar.

"Mercy? you have not only betrayed your people but your own father, there is only one sentence for a traitor. I am going to find you and carry it out. The King's Regents have now arrived and they root you out and purge all Melkor worship from the land," roared Haleth.

"Oh, I think not," said Haldar, coming up close to her.

"And even if they do, you will not be there to see it. You are standing in the way of my plans, dear sister, so I can never let you never leave Bree alive," Suddenly he grabbed her by the throat as the other figure chanted strange words. "Can you feel it, sister? Your life is slowly being choked from you. In the morning, they will find nothing but your greying corpse," he laughed.

Haldar's grip grew tighter and Haleth could feel her neck constricting, she tried to call out but no voice came. She opened her eyes straight into the brown eyes of a scarfed figure all in black, their hands tightly around her throat. She tried to push them off, but her breath was leaving her body. As the blackness came for her, she heard something like a door breaking open. Suddenly, the hands released their grip. Air rushed back into her lungs. As she lay gasping on the bed, Haleth was aware of a scuffle. Through her blurred vision, she thought she could see a silver haired glowing woman throwing the dark figure through the window. Haleth heard smashing glass, then everything went black.

"Haleth, Haleth, can you hear me?" Borion's voice brought her back to her senses. Her eyes blinked open, her throat bruised and sore. Borion was sitting by the bed holding her hand. He sighed with relief "I feared you would not recover, my love," he said. 

"Haldar tried to kill me, in a dream," she rasped.

Borion shook his head, "It was no dream, my love, an assassin broke into the Prancing Pony and tried to kill you. The queen broke into your room and apprehended him. The Elves have him in the Cellar, where they are questioning him," said Borion.

"The Queen? I thought it was one of The Divine, like Melian, in the old tales," whispered Haleth. Borion laughed, "No it was just the Queen, she was alerted to his presence somehow, she saved your life," he said.

"Haldar sent him, my brother tried to kill me," whispered Haleth. "

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Butterbur shook with fear, "An assassin, tied up in my cellar? I thought days like this were behind us now," he said.

"The Dark Lord may be gone, but there will always be men who commit evil deeds," said Thranduil.

"What will you do with him now?"

"We must question him, but I do not wish you to be inconvenienced any more than you have been. Is there a place we can conduct our business, out of the way?"