Jewel In The Palace(Lord Of The Rings Fanfiction)

Jealousy

A/N: Again, let me say this. English is my second language, so it's not perfect. Thank you for all the people who read, voted and added my story to their Reading Lists! It makes me so happy. :)

~~O~~

Mirialia couldn't sleep at all. The image of the villagers' angry faces seared into her brain as she stared up at the ceiling in her bedroom. A family has been kind to offer their spare room for her.

At least the help has been sent. But who else was out there, if anyone? How safe was this place really? The thoughts ran on her head.

She sat upright and sighed. It was no use; she needed an answer, a solution to the problem if she could ever hope to get to sleep. "Too bad you can't be any help." she whispered, gently stroking a little girl sound asleep beside her. Perhaps her father was still up at this hour.

She softly climbed out of bed, trying to be careful not to wake the young girl still sleeping next to her, slipped on her robe and sneaked out the door.

The forest was largely dark, but there was a distinct light visible at one end of it; at Erchirion's tent. He was still up after all. She bustled towards the light and stood in front of the tent. The prince was just about to go out when he noticed her.

"Oh, my queen. Can't sleep?" he asked her gently. Mirialia nodded.

"I guess you are still worried about what happened today, huh? Come on over here." he gestured her to follow him under a tree.

"Erchirion," her voice cracked. "are they safe in here?"

The prince looked a bit somber. "I understand." he stroked her hair. "But I promise you, Mirialia, nothing bad is going to happen to you or to these people as long as there's an ounce of life left in my body. So do not let this bother you, alright?"

"I'll try." she told him. "The girl's grandmother told me everything. They told me why they were mad at my husband."

"But you've already explained it to them, right?" he replied. "He only did it to protect you."

"Yes," Mirialia agreed. "I told them Thranduil did not allow any man to enter our land because the corsairs attacked the borders during that time."

"And they understood it?" he asked slowly.

"Slightly." she forced a smile. "The grandmother told me what happened during the war, before they fled here."

"I had a feeling she would bring that up at some point." he looked resigned to this.

"I guess you were scared too, weren't you?"

"Yes, basically the same as you are now, I guess." Erchirion admitted. "But one thing I've learned, Mirialia, is that fears have to be overcome; or they will eat us alive. After all, that's what a prince's supposed to do anyway, overcome whatever tries to impede his efforts to govern his kingdom well."

He forced a smile. "But lets not linger with the bad things right now." he lifted her chin up. "Maybe you can help me with a few big decisions here, not least of all where will be their new home?"

"Ithilien is the only place I could think of." she told him. "I think Lady Eowyn already informed you that Legolas with some of our kin will help in restoring the place. He accepted King Eomer and King Elessar's requests."

"Well, that's one way of looking at it." He smiled openly now. "Yes, I was leaning towards him as well, so I guess he's the man for the job...I mean..elf."

He sighed as he stared at the night sky. "I'll confess, just between you and I, that sometimes I feel the world's starting to pass me by." he admitted to the young queen. "Everything is not so easy; whatever my father said was law. Now King Eomer and my sister Lothiriel is pulling me one way, the rest of the family's pulling me another, Lady Eowyn often pulls me a third way--it's all a little much for a simple man like me to bear sometimes."