[Ealasaid]

Back in Eleniel’s room, Averyll, Vieana, and Eleniel began to talk again.

“Well,” said Averyll with a gleam in her china blue eyes. “We can’t rely on Diorwyn and Betuli alone. I think it’s time we did a little visiting on our own. We need to get to know the ladies of the Minas Tirith court.”

Deep in thought, Elen and Vieana each nodded their agreement.

“We have to do something,” Elen sighed.

Averyll went to the bell cord and rang for a maid. “I’ll send a message to Lady Pelien and see if we might drop in on her. She told me at the ball that we all must get acquainted.” She winked at the other two ladies. “And, really, there’s no time like the present. Besides, she’s an older lady. Older ladies of the court usually know everything that is happening.”

Averyll went to the little writing desk in the corner and wrote a short note, which she handed to the maid when she appeared a few minutes later. Giving the maid instructions to deliver the note to Lady Pelien and wait for a response, Averyll watched as the girl curtsied and left, note in hand.

Then, she turned to Vieana. “Back in the dining room, Vieana, you suggested we fight fire with fire by starting some rumors of our own.” She hesitated. “Like what, for instance?”

“Well,” Vieana hesitated, too. “Well, I didn’t have anything specific in mind yet. I guess we could think of something… something really ugly that might distract them from what is being said about Finduilas.”

“Okay…” Averyll and Elen nodded. The three of them fell into silence, each trying hard to come up with a malicious rumor to spread.

Finally, Elen raised her hand. “I know! I’ve got one.”

When the others looked at her expectantly, she smiled. “How about this -- when she thinks nobody’s looking, Lady Emilia picks her teeth with her fan.” Elen’s face fell as the other two burst into laughter. Blushing, she shrugged. “It’s all I could think of.”

“I know!” laughed Vieana. “But, I think we need something a tad more serious. That sort of thing might raise a few eyebrows, but it would hardly be considered fighting fire with fire. I mean, after all, they are implying our lovely Finduilas is a pirate or some such nonsense. We should come up with something comparable.”

“But, about whom?” asked Averyll. “Lady Emilia seems like a harmless little thing. Why pick on her?”

“Well, why not?” asked Vieana. “Who knows what they are saying about us.”

Averyll shrugged. “But it’s mean. What if she gets hurt by it?”

Vieana shook her head in exasperation. “That’s the point, Averyll. They are trying to hurt us. We should hurt them in return.”

Averyll still looked unconvinced, but she stopped arguing. The three fell into silence again. Several minutes passed before Vieana raised her head, her eyes sparkling mischievously. “I’ve got it. We can say it about Lady Dryea --”

“But the Morthaniawens are all so nice!” objected Elen. “Lady Dryea was especially friendly at the ball. And she looked so pretty in her crimson and cream gown. I wouldn’t feel right saying anything ugly about her.”

Vieana gave Averyll a dark look that said plainly, “Now, see what you started!”

Averyll made a slight grimace and looked at the floor. Vieana continued, “Well, Alethea, then --”

When Elen, again, opened her mouth to object, Vieana threw up her hands. “Who, then? Who can we start a rumor about if you two like everybody so much?”

Elen closed her mouth again and slumped in her chair. “I really don’t like this,” she mumbled.

“What’s the rumor?” asked Averyll suddenly. “Maybe we should start there.”

“We could say that one of these ladies’ grandmother was a Haradrim slave girl, and that her grandfather bought her off the back of a caravan.”

“Ouch,” said Averyll softly. “How about Lady Elena, then? She has dark hair. It might set people to talking. Does anyone know anything about her family? I mean, we can’t start rumors about her grandmother if her grandmother is someone everyone knows.”

Vieana nodded. “That’s why I suggested one of the Morthaniawens. They claim to come from Dol Amroth. Since that’s where we come from, people might be more apt to believe us. Plus nobody here would know their granny. At least, I wouldn‘t think so.”

“All good points,” Averyll agreed. “But wouldn’t that hurt us more? To attack the truthfulness of some of our own countrywomen? It would make all of Dol Amroth look like liars.”

“Oh.” Vieana sighed. “Another good point. We’re back to teeth picking with fans, I guess. If we can’t attack their lineage, what else can we say?”

“It’s just a rumor,” said Eleniel quietly.

“What?” asked Averyll, turning toward her. “What do you mean?”

“I said, it’s just a rumor. We can make it as wild as we like. The wilder the better. Nobody’s really supposed to believe it, are they?”

Averyll and Vieana exchanged a glance, then all three ladies began to smile. Eleniel definitely had a point.