The King's Players RPG

[Pitchwife]

That stung Coldan's male pride just a tad too much.

"No, it's not," he replied brusquely, glowering at Asta, "and if you insist on following zrough viz zis foolhardy plan, I'll be viz you, as you might know full vell. But you're ze one who's not paying attention. I told you Aldarion doesn't vant us here, and trust me, Asta, you don't vant to go in zere."

"Nonsense!" snorted Asta. "Why wouldn't I?"

Coldan drew a deep breath. He had meant to spare her this, but if she was going to persist in her obstinacy, he would have to be blunt.

"Because he already has a voman viz him to take care of him, zat's vy. Remember vat Sador said about Aldarion and some lady of Dol Amroth? Vell, it's true. She vas viz him ven I spoke to him. I even zink she may be on our side against Sador, and ze last zing anybody needs is you picking a catfight viz her or telling Aldarion off for double-dealing viz you in front of ze whole nobility of Gondor.

Now step aside and let me move zis hapless fool; ve can't just leave him lying here either vay. Harry, take his feet, please."

[Anguirel]

Echsichil's villa, interior

Both of the conspiratorial pairs of conversationalists in the garden had, just about, managed to obey the stern dictat of their hostess's gong. Neither were prepared for the ricocheting, incomparably, majestically more sonorous report that followed it; with a blast, too, from somewhere behind the house and to its west, that looked like the legendary dragonfire that had once strafed Erebor.

One of Lady Ecsichil's closest, most sympathetic and submissive friends, the young wife of a respectable old merchant, contributed an echo of her own, as her fainting form hit the marble with a light clunk. Reacting as much on fashion as instinct, the ladies around the hostess began to sink down likewise, as serving-men in variegated liveries scurried about to distribute salt and scents.

Aldarion and Sador, with Gloredhel and Aerwen closely following each respectively, had entered at opposite corners of the great ball-room, but each was a keen-sighted man, and at this moment some preternatural suspicion enabled each of their pairs of eyes to find the other. Both men simultaneously displayed, and concealed. I know your paltry players are behind this, Sador thought and consciously tried not to show. But Aldarion would be sharp enough to know he knew now; this Sador knew in turn, despite his delusive pride, as their glances parted.

On one of the rare occasions allotted to him by fate to take charge of the situation in his own house, it was now Lord Ecsichil who captured and reshaped the spirit of the moment. His eyes and mouth had popped open; his jaws were rising and falling, like a fish's, as was his consistent habit at moments of consternation. As he watched his wife's circle imitate ninepins - though the lady herself stayed as placid as ever - Ecsichil could contain his feelings no longer.

He burst into a rich, and long-unexercised vein of appreciative laughter.

"Sador!" he cried out heartily. "Why, you wag! This is your doing, isn't it, you and your player friend, no doubt," he chuckled, nodding courteously in Aldarion's direction, really as if he were seeing the younger man for the first time. "Come over here at once and tell me how you did it, you...you pair of egregious knaves!"

The frantic pallor with which Sador greeted his brother's first exclamation gave way to a rapid frown, a quicker yet blush, and then absolute and apparently automatic composure.

"I thought a surprise would serve us best this evening, dear brother," he appeared to admit, even having the gall to look sheepish. "The execution of the plan was all Aldarion's. He is a skilful fellow."

"So I can see," Ecsichil replied sagely. "Fella has a clever nose, saw that at once. Calm down, ladies! It's only a dragon! Ha, ha, ha..."

Ecsichil's laughter, while genuine, was always oddly phonetically precise. In his mirth as in his other attributes, he was a literal kind of man.

"Your brother may think it funny," his wife spoke up, unwittingly and automatically surrendering the serenity which had assured her high place in Minas Anor society, "but the alarm his little joke has caused our servants has quite ruined our preparations for dinner."

"Do you feel like dinner immediately after such an exciting starter?" Circilie rejoined.

"Quite right, Sissy," the elder brother agreed with equal spirit. "Let the supper be damned. Get your play going, Sador! If that's the start of the performance, I'd like the rest of it to tickle my empty stomach, not overturn a full one. Ha, ha!"

He did not often make jokes, and treasured those he produced accordingly.

"Very well," Sador answered evenly. "Sissy - Aldarion - Lady Gloredhel - would you come aside into the music room with me for a minute?"

***

The Second Circle

Vëandur was looking into the wild eyes and distraught face of his uncharacteristically ruffled looking great uncle, who seemed to have recently ridden rather faster than was good for him.

"I've acquired a spare steed," he rasped out, quicker than the mariner had ever heard the old man talk before. "I've gathered you have troubles you did not see fit to mention to me - and I, too, have cares that only now do I feel I must tell to you. Come with me to Ecsichil's, to my eldest boy's, right now. Don't bother to change. All that matters is talk, no, speed, yes, fast talk."

And with that the old lord whirled his untamed beard around, and hurtled down the creaking stares that spined that cheap lodging's length...at his own pace, but only just.

[Inziladun]

"I've acquired a spare steed," he rasped out, quicker than the mariner had ever heard the old man talk before. "I've gathered you have troubles you did not see fit to mention to me - and I, too, have cares that only now do I feel I must tell to you. Come with me to Ecsichil's, to my eldest boy's, right now. Don't bother to change. All that matters is talk, no, speed, yes, fast talk."

Vëandur hurried after the old man, slamming the door shut behind him. He usually moved pretty quickly himself, but keeping up with Cirdacil was surprisingly difficult.

"I do have troubles on my mind," said Vëandur as they strode along. "But I don't think now is the time for them. It seems greater matters are afoot." They were already approaching the gate, where the guard sprang to his feet.

Vêandur opened his mouth to hail the man and state his destination, as procedure ordered. The old man was too quick.

"Worry not, my good fellow! If you seek Vëandur of the Fleets he will be with me."

"I already told him who I was," explained Cirdacil as they passed the gate. "Good enough for the likes of him."

"You are in great distress, my uncle," said Vëandur as they reached two tied horses. "If you will share your burden with me, I shall do all I can to help you."

[Mnemosyne]

"Oh, pay that no mind, Thiliel," said Brinn, patting her on the hand. "It was all one big misunderstanding, after all, and I quite understand your alarm." She began to tuck into her food.

"Would you mind sitting with me a while and telling me about yourself? I don't mean to trouble you," she added, seeing Thiliel's hesitation. "If your duties are interfering, you should do those, of course. But, if you have the time, I wouldn't mind the company."

[Galadriel55]

Thiliel couldn't believe her ears. That was just what she needed! To sit down for a few minutes and talk about something with Celebrindal. Maybe then she would open up and say what was troubling her. I shall do most of the telling... yet it may be that she will also speak.

She looked around for a place to sit down, and noticed a small wooden bench in the opposite corner of the wagon. "May I?" she looked questioningly at the woman, pointing to the seat. Celebrindal nodded. "I have no duties that need to be done instantly, but a few that need to be finished tonight. I have time to spare." Thiliel shifted on her chair a bit before continuing. "You want to know about me. There is plenty that I could tell. My family is in Lebennin. I do not remember myself living anywhere else but there and in this inn. My mother tells me that she grew up in Lamedon. She says it is very different there. The mountains are whiter, and the air is clearer. She wanted to return there again, but she is afraid. Her home was changed much during the War. She does not want to see it other than she remembers. My father - he was a soldier. His childhood he spent in Lebennin, though much farther south from where my home stands. He came to Minas Tirith before the Great Siege, but was heavily wounded early and did not take part in the famous deeds. My Uncle –his brother – also fought. He is much older than my father, and was a soldier of Minas Tirith for longer. He guarded the passes of Anorien before the Siege. If it weren’t for him, my father would not have survived. He found him in the First Level that was in flames and carried him to safety when he retreated. They were some of the last soldiers that left the First Level.

“But why am I going on like that? I have told you naught of myself. There really isn’t anything worthy of telling about me. Not after all the tales that my parents and their parents have lived through.”

[Mnemosyne]

"Don't be silly," said Brinn. "You do know that all that dashing about with swords and fire was done so that we could enjoy peace and plenty, don't you? I know they doesn't look half as good on stage," she added, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, "but personally, I think all of our tales are just as fascinating as the Great ones. Do you think my friends and I got up this company because we wished that life were still as dangerous as it was during the War? No!" Well, Branor might, if he was able to do something relatively effortless that would win him great renown, but the King's Players hadn't been his idea, had it? "We did it--I did it, at least--to make other people happy, and to make ourselves happy, too, travelling about the countryside. I know we may not look our best right now, but I can tell you that none of us would want to do anything other than this. And, well, we shouldn't have been able to do that if the roads weren't safe enough to travel!"

She smiled and patted Thiliel on the arm. "I don't think anyone in this Middle-earth leads a dull life, least of all you. And if you think you do, what's stopping you from making it a little more interesting yourself?"

[the phantom]

Sador was suspicious of the bang- Aldarion could certainly see that. But he was uncertain as to what he guessed about the circumstances of the disturbance. The fact that he took the blame for it was interesting. It seemed that Sador was content for others not to get to the bottom of it. Was he protecting the other players, protecting Aldarion, or merely trying to simplify matters for everyone else to keep them out of the way and thus be one of the few with true knowledge?

But Aldarion pushed his thoughts aside, for Sador had just invited him into the music room. Perhaps some of the many questions surrounding Sador and his family would soon be answered...