The Eastern Woman

Vengeance

Then she removed the ruby ​​from the chest.  "This had to end up in the hilt of my son's sword, but then I brought it here. It was as if instinct told me to keep it, because a day like this would have come. Look at it, warrior."  She said.  "I said it's yours now. You know about precious gems, you certainly have some idea of ​​its value. No treasure in golden coins can compete. Do you accept it?"  asked Roswehn.

"On what condition?"  retorted Goneril.

"Just answer the question: will you accept it? I'll tell you what you have to do next."  Roswehn insisted.

Of course she would have accepted it.  Goneril was dazzled by that stone.  Selling it would have meant finding herself literally immersed in a mountain of gold, a bit like Smaug in Erebor.

"I accept it. What should I do?" She finally said.

Roswehn gave her the ruby. "You have to keep the secret. Just that. Don't talk to anyone about Prince Haldir." She answered. "With this stone, I am buying my son's life."

The mercenary sighed. She had imagined it. Checkmate, goodbye revenge. I'm sorry, Amon.

"You accepted, and so you swore." said Roswehn solemnly. "You are a criminal, it is true. But you would not go against an oath of yours. It is funny, you outcasts have a strange sense of honor. You murderers can keep your promises."

"Yes, Ms. Monrose. I usually follow this unwritten rule. To this day. I had made a promise to Amon, but I can't find a way to ..." said Goneril.

"I told you to forget about him. He doesn't deserve demonstrations of loyalty. You wanted to kill me, you swore that. To ruin Thranduil, and my son in his name. You can't do any of this. It will mean you'll die without guilt." commented Roswehn. ".... Idis." She smiled. "... I bet it's not even your real name."

"The name my foster parents gave me is Goneril. Since there are no more secrets, alas, we can end this nice conversation." she replied, clutching the stone.

"Goneril ... like the princess of the fairy tale. The three sisters, Cordelia, Goneril and Regan." chuckled Roswehn. "What an incredible coincidence: once upon time, as a young girl, I used to call myself Regan. But not for that tale. It was the name of a queen of ancient times ... a cursed queen." A shadow of terror passed in Roswehn's eyes. "... a Morgoth's servant ... a nightmare ..."

"I leave you, Ms. Monrose." said Goneril. Bettie was probably coming back, and that cloak, with the letter, had certainly been found. It was time to go.

"Farewell, fierce warrior of the East." Roswehn told her as Goneril walked to the back door. "And remember your commitment. Not a word. Do as Babiyar, the midwife who discovered my pregnancy: I bought her silence with twenty golden coins. And she kept it. She was a witch, but kept her word."

Goneril didn't even listen. She opened the door, and walked quickly through the withered rose garden. "Find love! It will heal everything!" shouted Roswehn. "Love ... is the most powerful force in the world!"

The warrior did not hear those words, she pulled up her skirt, which was too big for her, and headed to the barn to take back the sword.

Then a thought came to her mind: to ruin Thranduil.

She reflected.

She couldn't kill Roswehn. She couldn't, and basically didn't want to, hurt the young Haldir. He, too, was an illegitimate child, like her, he was an innocent Elf who had no fault but that of having come into the world. His existence was already a curse: living in the shadows, hidden from the eyes of all, until the end of time. When Morgoth would have used him. And then she had made a promise, a promise paid with a ruby: the little prince had to be spared.

To ruin Thranduil.

There was still time to do that. There was a way to avenge Amon. And in the meantime, she would have given a lesson also to Ms. Monrose. A little lesson that would have been far worse than a stab in the throat.

Old age. The Elves do not understand it, they do not accept it.

And what if the King and his former eighty-year-old lover had suddenly met, if he had ... seen her? An elder, full of wrinkles, a shadow of the pretty woman who had occupied his heart and his bed for thirty years. What unbearable pain would both have felt? What atrocious torment?

Both lived on memories. And if they had met, they would have lost all of them.

Brilliant.

⚜️⚜️⚜️

"You have to stay here with my daughter."  said Elrond.

As he tied Andúril - the sword reforged from the fragments of Narsil - at the saddle of his horse, the Lord of Rivendell gave Hammon a look of concern.
"I can trust you, I hope."

"Trust a mercenary soldier? You have great faith, Lord Elrond," replied the human.

"I think you are a good person. Your eyes and your actions tell me that. You have abandoned your companions when they have chosen the wrong path. It is enough for me."  replied Elrond.  "I have to reach Théoden and Aragorn, maybe I'll make it, running like the wind."

"In truth, I wanted to ask you to stay in your realm. I am waiting for my General. I don't know where she is, I thought I would have found her here. She will come to take the gold, I'm sure."  Hammon said.

"This realm has no boundaries anymore, my young friend. Has your General left your army?"  asked the Elf.

"Yes, but not for ideological reasons. I don't think so. I know she will come here, anyway."  confirmed the man.  "I'm confused. I have to confront her."

Elrond nodded.  "My daughter is on the verge of death. But we still have time. If what we both hope will come true, there is still a chance. You'd better pray our gods for victory."

"I don't believe in any god. I believe only in me."  Hammon replied.  "I wish you good luck anyway, Lord Elrond."

"Thank you for giving me the idea. The army of the dead ... I forgot about those cursed spirits."  the elven lord smiled.  "That gold ... keep it. Anyway, my daughter and I will leave. I allow you to live in this place, if you don't have a homeland. If Sauron was defeated, the whole Earth will be freed. Rivendell will have to be re-founded. Maybe by Men this time. "  He said.

Hammon turned his gaze around him.  "It's an extraordinary place. It would be great to live here."

Elrond spurred the horse and disappeared.

Hammon remained alone on the porch, thinking about what to do.  He was waiting for the woman who had been his ferocious commander until a few days before.

"I had a homeland ... Gondor ..." he murmured.

A sudden thunder frightened him .  It was not near, it was in the distance.  But it had been very strong.  He wondered if it was the signal of the beginning of something.