[Elora]

The Morning of the Luncheon

Ruiel dismissed Ränne on the day's work with a wave of her hand. She watched the other woman depart with a thoughtful expression. Once the door clicked behind Ränne, Ruiel smoothed the fine green linen of her gown and glided to the cedarwood desk. A matching, ornate chair upholstered in a rich old gold taffeta, sat tucked into it which Ruiel pulled out and settled into. She shook the ends of the draped sleeve of her gown free of her hand, and extracted a small delicate key from a fine chain that hung around her neck and nestled in her bosom beneath the sweep of her neckline.

Fitting the key to the lock, she heard the quick click of the well maintained mechanism and slid the drawer open. She sorted through the papers and parchements that lay within swiftly, and withdrew a selection before closing the drawer and restoring the key to its place safekeeping. With a businesslike expression, Ruiel directed her attention to a recently commissioned work.

She unfolded the vellum that the lineages had been inscribed upon and studied them for some time. Her eyes flickered over names of the minor and major houses of Minas Tirith. Then, she smoothed it out and laid it upon the polished desk and opened another document which she studied alone in its turn. A finely drawen brow rose as she considered the details before and then she set the second document out beside the first.

The Houses of Dol Amroth lay beside those of Minas Tirith. The line of Isildur and Elendil she dismissed with a contemptuous smile. Upstarts from the beginning, they had faded through mishap, misfortune and misjudgement that one could expect from such an inferior bloodline, unlike that of Umbar. Rather she inspected the houses of the Steward and his vassals, and also his known political opponents and compared it to Dol Amroth.

The linkages between the two were tenuous but still present, a fact Ruiel had discerned much earlier in anticipation of Findulias' cool reception upon announcement of the engagement. It was no wonder Gondor viewed the recently arrived courtiers from Dol Amroth with such resentment. The links by marriage and descent were old and lordlings had notorious short memories, something Ruiel had exploited before now.

But there was something more than that in the charts in lineage and ancestry. Already suspicion as to Findulias' identity was alive. In the concentrated hothouse of the court, it would spread rapidly. Gondor was well disposed to such unkindly reports of the newcome bride-to-be. The question now was how to further entrench the doubt. What identity would most repel Gondor and further isolate Findulias. Moreso, what would cast doubt over the Steward and de-stablise his hold over Gondor. It was those possibilities that Ruiel now read the charts for.

Her lips curved in a delighted smile as she settled on the best solution. There had long been rumour that one not so Faithful had found refuge with those who had set out prior to Numenor's sinking by the treacherous and greedy Valar. Indeed, in Umbar she had followed this survivor's descendants with some interest. What ruin would befall if it became known that Findulias was none other than a descendant of Ar-Pharazon... for Findulias and the grave downfall in the descendants of the "noble" House of Hurin...

Ruiel folded the documents, replaced them in the drawer and locked it once more. She arose from the desk with a rich smile of satisfaction in place and cool light of calculation in her gaze. House Morthaniawen would be in a position to intervene once the news was out and the revolt underway. Yes, the Steward would be banished, poor Finduilas spirited away to a remote location and there left to be forgotten, and Gondor would be under the proper rule of Umbar, once she had ceded the power to Umbar. Until then, it would be under the rule of Morthaniawen.

When Lady Ruiel entered the dining hall, garbed in the elegant drape of fine linen, she wore her satisfaction as if she wore the wealth of the Kings of Gondor, and she shone with it. Walkin with regal grace and manner, she swept along nodding and smiling at those already in the dining room. Already a contingent of Gondorian nobles were gathering. Ruiel smiled at each and moved towards them.