(Archive) Murder in Dol Amroth

October 1, 2000

Chamberlain\'s Residency(#27541Rn) The Royal Chamberlain\'s office opens up to some four hundred square feet. At the left side of the room cabinets line the walls, the few that are open show many volumes and scrolls. There is no dust upon it\'s shelves as you can guess the proprietress uses the information they contain frequently. The floor is made of oak and polished to a dull shine.

A window that spans from floor to ceiling is inlaid on the far side of the room. A large U-shaped desk sits strangely facing the window facing out over Dol Amorth. Ornate, expensive drapes hang to the sides of the great window. A comfortable looking chair of a rich mahogany and soft fabric lining sits behind the desk. There are no chairs in front of the desk, leading to an assumption that those seeking the ear of the Chamberlain must stand.

On the right hand side of the room are several bookshelves filled. Their titles are numerous and varied and few have dust showing that they too are read and gone through often. In the far right corner, on the far side of the desk another chair sits in the corner facing out, three other chairs circling it facing the single chair. A small table stands next to each of the three chairs, a slightly larger one standing next to the single chair. It appears as if the Chamberlain uses these chairs for the more important of her meetings. Also on the right is a hearth that provides the room with warmth during the colder evenings and weather. Upon the mantle of the hearth are several candelabras and two sconces that sit aside the rock ledge. At the center of the mantle sits a richly engraved box, designed with a golden dragon on the lid. Two crisscrossed swords, one designed for sport and one designed for war, are set over the hearth.

Several paintings line the spaces on the walls throughout the room filling it out without taking up much space.

Obvious exits: Out

Day has come, yet only recently past, for in the distant horizon one may still note the subtle touch of the last rays of the now gone day. The castle of Amroth lies quiet for the most part, servants and their master\'s having withdrawn from the days work into thier quarters, or into the dining halls. Here and there in the night you will find sounds of merrimaking, sounds of passing, the sound of a knock.

Yes, for this night a pair stand beyond the threshold of the Lady Gweneth of Bragollach\'s door, one hurriedly raps upon the door, terror lining each echoing beat, along with whispered voices that fill the air during those times with the knocking falls silent.

\"I pray the Lady is in...\" comes a voice that is most definately a females, \"As do I,\" replies a masculine voice, then both fall silent in wait for some response.

The door opens and indeed it is no lady that answers. A man, tall and gaunt, his eyes like small round grey beads that look over the pair, \"Yes, indeed what is it?\" He questions, annoyance in his tone. Deeper within the room a second voice sounds as well, that of Lady Gweneth, \"Garrant, do not be unpleasent. Open the door and show them in. I can be bothered for a momment without ill repercussions to my work.\"

The door swings out as Garrant turns and gives it a small push. Lady Gweneth sits behind her desk, her hands in the middle of writing on some partchment though her eyes are fixed on the arch of the door.

And thus the pair of commoners step quickly into the room, \"My lady,\" the maidly woman starts, only to be finished by the young man at her side, \"We beg pardon for the intrusion, but there is something that we must speak of with you, for we know or no other person to speak to in this matter.\" And as the young man speaks the woman turns and begs of the man, Garrant to close the door, her eyes as much full of terror as the words of the young man.

Gweneth raises from her desk, motioning to allow the door to be closed with her hand, \"Speak then and tarry no longer for my permission if the matter is as grave as you seem to think it is.\"

\"My Lady,\" the young man begins again, \"There is but one way I may tell you this,\" he stops, looks to the woman with whom he arrived, then his terror filled eyes return once more to Gweneth. \"I fear the Lady Aearwen has been murdered.\"

There is but one blink of the Lady\'s eye, \"What?\" she questions sternly.

The man\'s face pales visibly at the tone of the woman\'s reply, he starts to speak but no words come forth for a moment or too, just a look of utter horror and guilt, \"Yeh..yeh..yeh...yes\" he stutters out, \"The Lady Aearwen has been mur...mur..murdered...\"

The Lady Chamberlain tears the drawers from her desk, producing a curved dagger from one. She bounds over to the man and grips her hand around his throat, holding the dagger\'s edge against his skin and shouts, \"Speak no lies, nor play any games with me fool on this topic! If you speak the truth, speak it again once more! If I sense a hint of lies or treachery in your words I shall slit your throat here and now, consequences be damned!\"

A shrill shriek sounds from the throat of the man as the dagger armed woman flies towards him, her word as sharp as the edge of her dagger, \"S...sh...sh...sh..show her...\" the man pleads to the other with him, \"Show her the sword,\" he shrieks again, and at this the woman begins to unwrap something that she has been holding cradled in her arms, and as she does this the man\'s mouth is moving rapidly with the tale of the fall of Aearwen.

\"The lady left the city weeks ago,\" he stammers out, trying to force himself calm in the presence of Gweneth and her weapon, \"She wouldn\'t tell us where she was going, or why, only that she had somewhere to be and we were to make sure she arrived there.\"

A clatter sounds as the cloth wrapped blade falls to the floor from the woman\'s hands, and the man\'s finger points at the weapon, \"I saw... I saw the Lady run through on that sword...\" he cries to Gweneth, \"We had just crossed into the fief of Linhir, and were but a half a days march from the city of Pelargir... But we stopped for the night because one of the women we were traveling with took ill and the Lady Aearwen wanted to make sure she was well enough to continue on. Yet that night, in the darkest hours of the night, we were set upon by a dark clad group of mounted men. The caravan gaurd fought to the very end, taking down a few, but they were out matched by the swordsmanship of these villians.\"

\"They came, and they killed the Lady, and rode off with her head.\"

The dagger falls from Gweneth\'s hand... and for a momment the room stands in complete silence.

*CLANG*

The dagger hits the ground and Gweneth stumbles back from the man, her eyes wide, mouth hanging open slightly. She turns akwardly from the pair, her hand going to her desk to hold her upright, \"Garrent, take them to the Prince at once! Disturb whatever council he may be in... GO NOW!\" With that her hand fails her and she falls to her knees, her left arm keep her body from the ground.

Gweneth turns her head and looks back at the trio, tears already streaming down her face, \"Leave now! Or suffer the wrath of the Bragollach fire!\" She turns once more from them and her arm gives way completely. Her head nestled in her arms, the Lady lies and sobs.

Garrant moves to the pair and takes their arms and drags them to the door, leaving the sword where it lies, \"We must take our leave at once!\" He thrusts open the door and pulls them out...

And as they are forced away, the man cries out once more, \"It was Melethron my Lady,\" he shouts to her, \"I know it was, look...\" he points to the blade once more, \"Look to the blade, the sigil...\" And then the door is slammed in his face, \"I saw him...\" he shouts to the door, \"I saw him kill her.\"