there and back again, a hobbit's tale | closed

[ironwood]

Characters: The Ironwood Emperor and Frodo Baggins.
Location: The Palace of Landed Sky.
Situation: Frodo's been injured by a Morgul blade, it's time for an Emperortervention.
Warnings/Rating: None yet. Will add if that changes.




Evandau had first been the one to bring her news of the little creature, the 'hobbit' come lately to her city. Apparently, this Frodo Baggins had sustained some sort of injury that bore looking after.

Eshai was no healer, but that didn't mean she couldn't heal. She simply misliked doing so. It did not suit her nature, which was tied more to the crossed swords that hung over her white marble throne. Still, she would attend to this 'Frodo' and see where it took her. She's learned never to eschew new possibilities.

Rather than meet him in her throneroom, she opted to use one of the little closed gardens of the palace. They were gilt cages – almost literally – an enclosed trellis with creeping ivy that blocked out all but the most stubborn of sunbeams. The result was a small, intimate space that smelled of fragrant spices and flowers, and at its centre there was a small, shallow pool cut directly into the turtle's shell. Eshai was standing beside it, the picture of serenity, and she would continue to do so until her guards brought Frodo to her directly.

The pageantry of leadership. It was all a matter of presentation.

Comments

[iorhael]

Frodo, when he had finally made his way back to his lodging after end of the festival in the Earth sector, found that he had no desire to leave it. As the festivals moved through the different parts of the city, Frodo spent most of it resting. Sleeping when it could be had. The wound was getting worse. He peeled the fresh bandage off with his good hand one day. He wished he hadn't. Black and blue spider-webbed out from the hole, but other than that, it was as if the very color had been sucked out from around the area. He had been afraid of this. Now it was continuing its progression. Delayed but not stopped as he had hoped.

He said nothing of the matter to Sam. He didn't want to worry him; not when he had enough to worry about as it was.

Sam was out when the White Guard came for Frodo. They were dreadfully cryptic. They were also equally insistent that he come with. For a frantic moment, he wondered if they had come for the Ring, but dismissed it soon after. They didn't make any sign that they knew about It. Whoever the Emperor was sounded like he was interested in him instead. This fact comforted him little, yet some side of Frodo was curious enough to go without too much fuss. Who could have rule over these strange people?

The going was slow, almost as painfully so the way to Rivendell. Frodo focused on taking one step, then another. After what felt like too long as it was, they finally stopped. The hobbit lifted his head to look around. He found, to his surprise, that he had not been led to a massive throne room, but a garden of sorts, small and fragrant. What was even more surprising was the Emperor was a woman. The woman could be no other. She was tall like the Big Folk, beautiful but in a way he had not seen from either Men or Elves. There was something severe about it, like steel or winter frost.

There was no doubt in his mind that she was royalty. Frodo bowed as best as he could. "You asked for me, my Lady?"