"Oh my gosh, I forgot what breathing fresh air felt like. The House of Healing was so tight." I breathed in as I stood outside the doorway of the House of Healing.
I was finally allowed to get out of the place. I could walk around just fine, but the healers wouldn't let me actually leave the building. As fresh as the air was, the streets of Minas Tirith were crowded with civilians pushing carts, handing baskets to each other, soldiers walking.
"Come, Rosa," Aragorn pat my back. "I'll show you to your room."
I followed him through the busy streets, many people gave me looks in reaction to my attire. We passed through each level of the citadel until we got to the top level. Aragorn nodded to the guards at the gate as we passed by, the doors opened before we even got to the first step.
"Everyone here treats me like a king. I am no king." Aragorn muttered.
"Not yet," I said. Aragorn gave me a warning glance and I shut my mouth.
"Lord Aragorn." The guards nodded to us when we walked through the doors, they did a double-take look at me.
"Everyone here looks at me like they would a Faun," I said. "Maybe I should stop wearing pants."
"Well, if I were being honest with you, you are wearing fewer amounts of clothing than any woman would," Aragorn explained.
I looked at him in astonishment, glanced down at my clothes, then looked back at Aragorn. "Excuse me? Are you saying..." I glanced around at the few guards who were watching me then lowered my voice. "Are you saying that I am dressed like a whore?"
"I did not say that," Aragorn replied.
"But you implied it," I said. "Do you think I am dressed like a whore?"
"No, you are dressed like a fighter," Aragorn answered honestly. "But they might." He looked pointedly up at a guard who stood at the battlements. He stared down at me before looking back up when we caught eyes.
"Oh..." I slowly folded my hands behind my back and felt my cheeks turn pink.
"This way." Aragorn jerked his head to the right. I turned and began heading that direction with Aragorn but we were stopped.
"Lord Aragorn." We turned to see Faramir. "You are wanted in the throne room, Gandalf requested you."
"Is it alright if I escort my sister to her room?" Aragorn nodded at me.
"That will be unnecessary." Said Faramir. "Alene, Lilia." He called out, and two young girls, perhaps the age of 12 or 13, came to his side. "This is Lady Rosa, you will serve her for the time being, please show her to her room."
The two girls nodded and gestured for me to follow them.
We walked up a flight of winding stairs, and into a hallway, then through a door. The room was very big. Bigger than the one in Helms Deep. The floor wasn't cold stone but quartz, the bed had white curtains around it for privacy, the room was lit with just windows, which also had curtains. On one side of the room was a fireplace, on the other side, against the wall, was a dresser with a chair, mirror, and a collection of brushes, combs, hair elastics, and pins.
"I can take your bag, Lady Rosa." One of the girls spoke up.
I looked down, her brown hair was pulled back loosely by a pin. Light freckles scattered across her nose, but she just looked at the floor without making eye contact.
"Yes, thank you. Tell me again, what are your names?" I handed her my bag and looked at both of them, the other girl had reddish hair, pinned back the same way.
"I am Alene, she is Lilia." She replied, walking to a coat peg by the door and hanging the duffle bag. She gave one last glance at the bag, which was strange to her eyes, then stood next to Lilia.
"Would you like us to prepare you a bath so that you can clean yourself after the battle?" Lilia asked.
"Yeah, that sounds great, thanks." I nodded.
"Follow us." Said Alene, turning on her heel and leading me into a separate room, where a white tub was placed with two separate pumps. Lilia turned the knob of one tap, where steaming water rushed out. Alene turned the knob to the other tap slightly, probably the cold water.
"Huh, so you guys have your own water system?" I asked.
"The water comes from underground springs in the mountain, then on the lower level of the citadel is the furnace, where they heat the water. Otherwise, they just let the cold water run through." Alene answered. "Would you rather bathe alone?"
"Yes please." I nodded.
"We will be selecting a dress for you while you bathe," Alene said.
"There is soap on the table next to the tub," Lilia added before they left the room.
I undressed out of the blood-stained clothes and stepped into the tub, then turned off the water. The hot water felt nice against my cold skin. I wonder if the people here will ever find out how to make showers. It'd be quite funny to explain it to them. I looked over at the table, where a new bar of soap waited to be used. I began washing, especially my face. There was a lot of oil there.
When I got out, I found a towel hung up on a peg and began drying myself off. I wrapped the towel around me and walked back into the room, where Alene and Lilia had a cream-colored dress laid on the bed. A fire was lit in the fireplace. When Lilia saw me, she looked down hiding a blush to see me in just a towel, then she rushed to the bathroom to fetch my clothes.
"Shall I assist you in the dress?" Alene didn't seem as ashamed as Lilia to see me barely naked.
"Yes, please do so." I agreed when I realized it had many under dresses, and... Oh, dear. A corset.
Alene looked away as I put on the first under dress, then helped me with the laces at the back. Then came the corset. I held the white leather piece across my waist and Alene laced it together at the back, then began pulling the strings tighter. Sure am glad my ribs are fully healed, but some bruises still remained.
"Is this really necessary, Alene?" I asked. "For women to have tiny hips so that they can't breathe?"
"That's how it is M'lady." Her voice was strained against her struggle to pull the corset. "When women reach the age of sixteen, they start wearing them."
"Love your age while you live it, Alene, fashion is pain." I joked.
Alene gave one last tug then tied the laces in places.
"Damn," I muttered. "I can hardly even breathe."
Alene pulled over a stool to stand on and pulled the dress over my head. The sleeves were long and belled out at my wrists. At the sides hung a ribbon that would tie around my back. Which Alene did swiftly.
Lilia walked out of the bathroom and stood by the dresser. "Your clothes have been washed and are hanging to dry."
"Thank you, Lilia." I smiled. She still looked at the ground.
"Come sit at the dresser, and we'll brush your hair."
I sat down at the chair in front of the mirror. The woman who looked back at me was very unfamiliar. Her hair was unbrushed, her face tired and untouched. She didn't even look a day over twenty-five, although she was in her thirties. That woman was me. Lilia and Alene stood on either side of me and looked at my hair.
"Split ends," Lilia said. Alene nodded. "I think we might have to trim your hair." Lilia looked at me in the mirror.
"Oh please do. It's getting out of hand." I nodded.
Lilia opened a drawer in the dresser and pulled out a pair of scissors, and a spray bottle filled with water. She started spraying my hair till all of it was damp, then Alene combed through the thick locks.
"How short?" Lilia held up the scissors.
"Just until the split ends are away," I replied. Lilia nodded and started trimming away.
I sat in awkward silence as the girls worked. Maybe I should start up a conversation.
"So, how long have you two been in service?" I asked.
"We started three years ago when we were ten." Said Alene.
"So you're both thirteen?" I guessed. They both nodded.
"All girls start serving the Lords and Ladies of the citadel at age ten. Boys start at age eight." Lilia added in, moving to the back of my head.
"When do you marry?" I asked, remembering in this world that women marry at a young age.
"Fifteen is the proper age for a woman to marry," Alene replied. "Are you married- oh, I'm sorry, I shouldn't ask that." She bowed her head.
"No, it's alright." I shook my head. "And no, I'm not married." I sat for a moment thinking if Legolas might ask... No, Elf and Woman, it just doesn't add up. Plus, his father, the Elfking wouldn't approve. Why did I think of that?
When Lilia finished trimming my hair, Alene got a towel and began drying the hair. Lilia grabbed a brush and began brushing down the locks. Alene parted my hair at the top of my head, took two strands from the side, and pinned them at the back. She left my side and opened a chest that was set against the bed, she reached in and pulled out an iron rod, walked to the fireplace, and held the rod in. I watched this all from the mirror as Lilia combed through the knots in my hair.
When Alene took the rod out, she poked the hot piece of metal a couple of times then walked back over to us. She held up the two strands of hair that had been pinned back and wrapped them around the rod. She silently counted down from five then let the strands hang loose.
"Ohhh, so it's a curling iron." I thought out loud.
"Okay. You're done." The two girls stepped back and let me stand up.
"Wow, thanks, guys. I feel treated like a princess." I said.
The two curtsied in reply.
"We'll lead you down to the throne room." Alene nodded towards the door.
Man, I wonder how the company will react to my attire.