[Nurumaiel]

Adrama read the letter quietly, and when she finished she folded it gently and placed it back in the envelope. Her mother handed her the first. This letter took her a few minutes to finish with, for she read it thrice over. A little sigh escaped her and she handed both letters back to her mother. There was a long silence, in which neither spoke, but many thoughts came and went in Adrama's mind. At last, with another sigh, she spoke slowly. "I will help, Mother," she said. "There is a person of evil here, and I will do all that I may to reveal her, though the name of this person might be one I do not wish it to be."

Her thoughts were of Alethea. She didn't know very much of the girl and her family, and it had been rather obvious to Adrama's naturally intelligent and sharp personality that there was some secret Alethea had been hiding. There was not even the slightest clue as to what it was, until now. Could it be that the traitor was Alethea, and that is what she had been hiding? The thought was too dreadful, too terrible. They had become fast friends, and Adrama knew what she would lose.

Straightening herself up and nodding with a sudden resolution, she turned abruptly away from her mother. A breeze found its way into the window and through the room, and Adrama welcomed it to soothe her burning cheeks. And with the breeze went all her fears. Maybe Alethea was the traitor, but if so, it meant Alethea was not her friend. All would be an act, an act to bring trust from the citizens at Minas Tirith and support later when she was discover. Surely Alethea knew that sooner or later her horrible plans would be discovered. But with the friendship of the people of Minas Tirith, she would have supporters right and left, protesting against any accusations.

"Adrama..." Pelien gently touched her daughter's shoulder. At the simple yet obvious sign of affection, Adrama felt a lump go to her throat and a tear to her eye. "Something is troubling you greatly, daughter," Pelien said softly. "What is it? Could it be that you know who this traitor is?"

For the briefest moment Adrama hesitated, wondering if it were all from her imagination or if there was actually evidence that proved Alethea was indeed the traitor. But she was, she had to be. Nothing else could explain her behavior of hiding something... and what about the clear anxiety that had been on her face at the masquerade? Adrama's voice came so quietly that her words were barely perceptible. "Yes, Mother, I know who it is."

Pelien did not question her. There was another period of silence, then Pelien spoke again, her voice carrying a lighter note, obviously trying to draw Adrama away from dismal thoughts. "Ecthelion has already named the men who will be attending our luncheon," she said. "He has left it to us to select the young ladies. I have already made up my mind." She waited for Adrama to face her, but seeing that the young woman did not intend to, she said in a voice full of authority and decision, "I have chosen the ladies Vieana, Averyll, and Elen."

Now Adrama did turn to her mother. Disbelief and anger was written all over her face, and she spoke no words for a few moments. Then she let a torrent of words fly from her lips, all of them spoken without thought and deliberation, the names bringing back in full force the anger she had felt on a previous occasion. "You surely are not inviting them?" she cried. "Mother, I begin to reconsider my decision to help you at this luncheon. Those three ladies bring nothing but anger to my heart, and I would not face them again in a manner of friendliness, for all kind thoughts and feelings towards them have been banished from my mind. You ask me to work with them, who I consider beyond any doubt enemies of mine, and I say to you it is impossible, and I will not do it, not even for you, Mother. They have wronged our family terribly, they and the Lady Tessa, and even now their words come back to me as they mocked you so cruelly-"

Here she was cut short by the sharp words of her mother. "Be silent, please, Adrama! You speak of them wronging our family and mocking me? From whence did this mad idea come?"

Adrama was taken by surprise and fell silent for a moment. It seemed impossible that her mother had not been aware of the ladies' attitude at their previous meeting. "It was everywhere, Mother. When you were not looking they laughed at you, and their opinions of you were low, their thoughts clearly expressed this."

"And how was it that you could read their thoughts?"

"Their eyes showed clearly..."

"There was no mockery on their part, Adrama," Pelien said firmly. "You must have been quite confused. All that I saw was love for the Lady Finduilas, which you certainly have none of."

Adrama refrained from speaking aloud her thoughts (being that her mother could say so much for herself) and straightened herself up. Her young, beautiful face grew stubborn and she shook her head. "Think what you will, Mother, but it will not change my mind. I have told you that I will not attend the luncheon if those ladies are to, and I will not." A reply from Pelien was halted as Adrama held up her hand and continued. "Don't try to order me, Mother. I my still by your daughter, but I am not your child. It has been many years since I was a child. I can decide for myself, and I choose not to go."

"If you are not a child, Adrama, than do not speak and think as a child," Pelien retorted, her voice sharp and cutting. She stood, indecisive for a moment, then her voice became gentler and her manner kindlier. "My dear girl, you may not be a child, but to me you are still one. I remember the laughing little girl who was so innocent and so unworried. And as I look at you now I sorrow, for you look as though you are much older. What worries and pains have come upon you?" She sighed sadly, then she took both her daughter's hands in her own. "I assure you, Adrama, there were no ill thoughts, ill words, or ill actions on the part of the ladies of Dol Amroth when we last met them. Perhaps they were not sure what to think. They had heard of the ghastly rumors against Finduilas, and is it not likely that they would think it was our family, in particular me, who had started them? I do not know what they thought, but I know they thought nothing against us.

"I ask you now to go to them in all manner of kindliness and loyalty and help unmask the traitor. I am sure if you will but speak to them and watch them you will see that there are no poisonous thoughts in their minds. And if you will not go to them as a friend, then go to them in forgiveness for the wrongs you believe they have done you, and as one loyal to your Steward and land. You may not be a child, Adrama, but you are not old yet, and I am growing old. I know things that you will not know until you are older. And I know this... the ladies of Dol Amroth are our allies and friends, and there is no reason to make them think otherwise."

Adrama thought on these words for awhile, then she kissed her mother's cheek, smiling at her. "I'll do as you ask, Mother," she said. "But whether as a friend or as one enduring all trials to save her land, I do not yet know. That rests entirely in the hands of the ladies with whom I will meet with."

"Thank you," said Pelien. "And if there's anything you would like to say to the ladies, then I insist that you call them aside for a few moments and do so. I'm sure the young men will not object to the young ladies speaking amongst themselves for awhile." And with those final words, Pelien released her daughter's hands and departed from the room.

Adrama remained awhile longer, thinking of what was to come. Now that her mother had revealed such deep thoughts to her, she did not know what to think. Where was her mother's pride? But perhaps it was that pride was not only a good thing. Adrama wanted to go to the ladies as a friend, but memories were making it hard. Her mother said that she had been tricking herself, that there had been no mockery and ill feelings from the ladies, but Adrama could not convince herself that this was so. Yet perhaps she would call the three of them aside for a few moments to ask their forgiveness and friendship.

She groaned and placed her head against the wall, dread building up in her. Things were becoming so clear. But if the ladies did not act in the kind manner that Adrama was preparing to act towards them, if they did not show themselves to be friends of the family and not enemies, then what would happen to all the decisions that had come to her. She would not be able to take it. It would be too much.

"Oh, Vieana, Averyll, Elen," she murmured, a tear slipping down her cheek. "Please, I beg you, do not let me down. Addruran, I'll need you to comfort me if they do. But you won't, will you, ladies?" If her mother had been there she might have been seriously alarmed at seeing the girl talking to people who were not there. But perhaps she would have understood if she had seen the weariness of mind and body that had taken her daughter, the great need for help, the sorrows of her realization of Alethea. But she did not see her daughter then. It was only afterwards when she went to look for her that she found her curled up on a chair, her dark hair running tangled down her back, her eyelashes resting on her pale cheeks where the trace of a tear still remained, and her eyes closed in peaceful slumber. The mother smiled fondly at her for a moment, then closed the door at let her daughter continue to dream.

[ September 17, 2003: Message edited by: Nurumaiel ]