•●•●•●•

I shivered in the cool night air.

The Golden Serpent was only gone for a few hours, so I had some time to savour the comfort of the darkness.

I could not sleep. In fact, I hadn't slept properly for weeks.

I was bright and cheerful during the day. I played with the boys, helped Safina to try and stand up, sewed in the evenings and sold the end products during the mornings and afternoon. I talked cheerfully to all my customers, spent time with Amira,   talked fashion with Lady Túrien whenever she came calling, wrote letters to Miarka and Grandmother in Harmindon and read the replies with a nostalgic smile.

Malbeth and I had tried to keep up our tradition of meeting up at our well early in the mornings, before his shift started, but it was different. For some reason, we didn't talk as we used to - for some reason, something had changed between us. Maybe he regretted his actions the day we'd met in Minas Ithil, maybe he was disappointed I hadn't responded.... but over the course of several weeks, we drifted apart. We saw each other during the day, of course, looking away quickly if our eyes ever happened to meet in the brightly lit, busy street - and yet our well grew more and more neglected.

Something was preying on my mind, though. Something to do with the Easterlings that had kidnapped Princess Almárëa.... I thought a lot when I was alone, and never came to any conclusion - but there was always a little worry in the back of my mind.

This particular night, I didn't even try to sleep. I knew I couldn't anyway, so I'd crept out of the house and made my way to the familiar well in the Court of Tarondor.

I knew by now the best way to sit without having to shift about in discomfort for a few minutes before settling down. I looked about me - how different everything looked in the shadows, cast by the pale light of the moon. Everything was so quiet - I could just about hear the sleepy snorting of horses in their stables a few streets away. Other than that - silence.

"There is a curfew, you know."

I jumped, heart pounding wildly.

"Oh, it's only you."

"May I sit down?"

"I'll leave it to your conscience. It is a public well, so do as you please for all I care. Then again you are on duty, and Captain Ohtar will give you a scolding and a half if he finds you skiving off."

Malbeth huffed, which might have been a suppressed laugh. "Don't ever change, Jeddah," he said softly.

"Change? What do you mean?"

"I don't think I can explain." I didn't look as he sat down beside me. "Why are you so cold? You practically ignore me these days. What have I done to offend you?"

I opened my mouth to argue -

- and closed it again, overcome with shame. The more I thought about it, the more I realised he was right. It hadn't just been gradual separation, it was I alone who had drifted away. He didn't press me, but made to get up - and I held out a hand, forcing him back down.

"I had to.... come to conclusions. Make decisions. And -" I laughed, with a rather hysterical note "- I don't even know what I had to decide. Malbeth - please, please believe me - I had no intention to hurt you. I had a lot to think about."

After a moment's silence, Malbeth sat down again.

"Malbeth - I need to know this - please tell me what happened the night Princess Almárëa was kidnapped."

Malbeth took a rather shaky breath.

"I don't- I don't think I -"

"Please, I promise, I can explain if you describe it all to me.

"Alright, then. I let Prince Eldarion go.... I saw him last, before he rushed off to save his sister. But I'll not dwell on that, I've felt guilty enough over it and I've decided to put that behind me. He went to one way, I went the other.... I was tired, I hadn't slept since the night before. But the other men and I searched for hours and eventually we found her, she was standing alone under the Gate of Stars. She was shivering like mad - I'm not one for medicinal knowledge but as a soldier I know shock when I see it. But she was so brave - we brought her to her parents and instead of losing it altogether, she went back with us and led us to the Black House."

Malbeth leaned back. Even in the darkness, I saw that his eyes were closed.

"Well, we left the princess with Ohtar and stormed the cellar, Prince Eldarion was lying shackled to a table, covered in patterns of blood, and all these awful chanting black-cloaked figures surrounding it, and we killed them all. They would have - they were going to - oh, never mind."

He said it very quickly, without drawing breath. We sat in silence, while he relived his present horrors and I those of my past.

"Damn it, I shouldn't have said that - please don't cry," he said suddenly.

"I'm not - am I crying?!" I sobbed, burying my face in my shawl. "I - I hadn't realised. But that wasn't what upset me, thank you for telling me. It's about my father. I told you he was killed.... but there was never a body, we never knew for sure if he was dead, Mother always said she had a feeling about it - but I've been thinking - what if he didn't- didn't -"

It took some time for me to compose myself.

"What I'm trying to say," I began whispering anew, drawing in a deep breath of cool night air, "Is that perhaps, my father was not murdered. Maybe the control over his mind was completely.... taken.... Malbeth, maybe my father was one of the Easterlings who -"

I could not go on, so I just sat there and wept.

When Malbeth put his arm around my shoulders, I did not shrink away. I just continued to cry until I was ashamed of myself, and shut up quickly, leaning my head against the cold metal armour. The silence grew until it was almost uncomfortable - tears continued to trickle down my cheeks.

"Jeddah, the chances of that...."

"I know. I'm being ridiculous, and the more I think about it, there is no way now I can ever know for sure. So I'll stop. But when you left for Minas Ithil I sat here to wait for you and I was so afraid - what if the Easterlings got hold of you and killed you, or corrupted you like they did my father?"

"Don't worry - I'm here now."

"I know. Thank you."

"What is there to thank me for?"

"Everything. But mostly for coming back to me."

Silence.

I could hear approaching footsteps, see the flickering from a lantern, soft calling voices - the other night watch looking for Malbeth.

"I will always come back for you," Malbeth whispered, disentangled himself carefully from my shawls, and strode off, calling to the other men.

And - just like that - I realised I wasn't afraid anymore as I slipped away into the darkness.

•●•●•●•

"By Elbereth, this is like the good old times, isn't it, Jeddah?"

"My lady - look out, I'd just got that part finished!" I complained through clenched teeth that held half a pincushion, inching across the thick carpet on my knees to gather the scattered pins as Túrien apologised again and again. "But yes, it is rather, isn't it? It has been a while since I've done a fitting where I have to swear complete secrecy to a royal pregnancy. However did you manage it?"

"What do you mean?" Túrien held her arm out obediently so I could get to work with my pins.

"Well, I thought Lord Sufyan was meant to be gravely wounded," I explained in as innocent a voice as I could manage.

"He's on the mend, and anyway, Father even recommended some light physical activity to regain his strength," Túrien giggled.

I nearly spat out my pins.

"I think that does it, my lady, and I'll have that ready for you by the end of the week," I said, gathering all my pins as Túrien smiled gratefully and went behind the screen to change.

"Oh, and Jeddah?"

"My lady?"

She handed me a slip of paper covered in fancy writing. I knew it was written in Westron, because I couldn't read it at all.

"I can't read this," I admitted.

"I know, which is why I'm giving it to you in person. You are invited to the Harvest Feast next week."

"What, me?!"

"Yes, you! Around seven hundred people have been invited, all kinds of important lords and ladies from all over Gondor. From Dol Amroth, all the regions around Belfalas, Lebennin, Lamedon, Lossarnach, even Pelargir - and of course Rohan, Harad (so you won't entirely stand out), Gimli and Legolas and their folk- though I'll be very surprised if many elves show, they're becoming more and more reclusive as the years pass." Túrien bit her lip reflectively, lost in thought, while my head swirled with mad visions of elves and dwarves and grand majestic people towering over me. "Anyway, have you heard of it?"

"Heard of it? People have been talking of nothing else all month!" I was incredulous. "But my lady, why am I invited? I am not an important Gondorian lady."

"You're my friend. And anyway, we can't have Lieutenant Malbeth Medlithorion going alone like he has for the past five years, it's almost pitiful."

"How - how did you -"

"Rumours reach even the ears of the grand Lady Ramyahani, Jeddah dear. Present this invitation to the entrance guard at the Merethrond, I hope to see you there." She winked, and I let myself be hustled out of the room, completely speechless.

Malbeth met me outside the King's House.

"Túrien was right - it has been a while since I've had an order this big. I wonder what she wants it for - most of her clothes were sent out from Harmindon when she returned from Minas Ithil," I remarked innocently, holding up two spools of embroidert thread - one gold, one silver - and comparing them to the red silk. Gold, I decided - it matched the red better. Silver would suit purple or orange.

"Why, it's obvious what she wants it for," Malbeth said, surprised.

"What would that be, then?"

"The Harvest Feast, of course! Why it's next week!"

"What's that?" I asked, feigning innocence again.

Malbeth grinned. "Oh, it's one of the best things about living in Minas Tirith. Usually the Harvest Tournament would take most of the day - mock battles and jousts. It's usually great fun, but what with all that's happened this summer, that part is being left out this year. It's a pity because you've never even seen the Harvest Tournament. The day is rounded off by a grand banquet and ball in one. It's to celebrate the end of the harvest. The king hosts the celebration for the upper class and it's one of the most important state occasions of the year."

"Do you take part in the Harvest Tournament?" I asked.

"Oh, yes. There's the melee - we all take part in that - and then it's archery for me. I'll have you know I've nearly won the thing many times - unfortunately there's this incredibly skilled pair of archers from Dol Amroth that win the crown nearly every year. I'm moderately good on horseback but I know instinctively the joust is nothing for me - you'd need more skill than I have for that kind of thing. The only person I've ever seen unhorse King Elfwine of Rohan was that one year where Lord Elboron won."

"I do wish I could attend the Harvest Feast," I said, with a pathetic sigh.

Malbeth was beginning to get suspicious. "What are you up to, then?"

"Look!" I took hold of his arm with some difficulty as I still had to stuff all my material under my other arm before waving the ornate invitation before him. "Lady Túrien gave me an invitation - so I can come with you!"

"How marvellous!"

"So, can I go with you?"

Malbeth bowed dramatically. "Anything for you, my lady."

I grinned, and arm in arm we went back to my stall as the early autumn  sun set beyond the distant hills.

•●•●•●•