03 June , Year 66, Fourth Age

The whole court was in a state of excitement. The news of my pregnancy had already spread like wildfire. Théodred had convened the crown council first thing in the morning. Today they would swear allegiance to me and my unborn son. I strode excitedly through the Golden Hall, two of Mother's maids behind me. The room was still empty. On the walls hung the banners of Rohan, behind the throne the crest of Arnor. I loved the sight and thought happily, "Gondor has been trying to take Arnor for so long, but we will not allow it. Through this alliance with Rohan, we have finally gained our independence. " I turned to my companions with a grin.

"A princess of Arnor who, to make matters worse, is also entitled to the throne of Rohan. The nobles of Gondor must be fuming right now, don't you think, Beywyn? " The woman hesitated, but then replied, " My lady, you know it is not advisable to speak like that in public. " " But we are among ourselves, besides, it is no secret. Gondor has failed again. Arnor is and will remain an independent kingdom. And today we will celebrate life. I can't wait to finally dance again!"

Out of a sudden instinct, I grabbed the other maid, Dúnwyn by the hands and spun exuberantly around the hall with her. This would be my day.

I finally let go of the maid and sang the song dedicated to my mother's wedding:

"For the first time in ages, music will play, lights will shine!

And for the first time in ages she will dance through the hall! Tonight she'll look beautiful! Funny, charming, you'll see A picture of grace and loveliness! "

" Gun dìonadh sibh Dia agus an taigh leotha! "

I had been so lost in my reverie that I was terribly frightened when the council meeting began with these words. Lord Ruthven, the Royal Treasurer, was the first to kneel before me. "I swear by the name of Eru Almighty to be faithful to the constitution of Rohan, to honour the rights, liberty and independence of the people and citizens, to avoid and prevent to the best of my ability anything that may prejudice the religion of our fathers and good morals, to administer the office I hold to the best of my conscience and never to exceed my powers of office. May God help me to fulfil these obligations to my Queen and her heir."

Each of the councillors repeated this vow. I tried hard to appear focused, but my mind kept wandering. If my first child was indeed a boy, it would solidify the position of Rohan and Arnor as well. I did not give myself false hope. My son would not belong to me, but to the kingdoms of Rohan and Arnor. My position would be much strengthened in return. What could Gondor do then? My cousin was not yet of age, nor married.

It was said that she was unruly and even disobeyed King Eldarion's orders. There was also a rumour that she had lost her father's favour and that he had sent her to Ithilien for an indefinite period. That was just fine with me. If Eldarion was busy looking for a husband for the Princess of Gondor, Rohan and Arnor would benefit. I would soon give birth to an heir to the throne and was still young enough to bear more children. Thus the line was secure. And what could Gondor do about it? They would not risk war as long as their own throne was in danger of running out of heirs. So my regency was safe for the time being.

That evening I dined with the Six Members of the Crown Council. My husband was not present, he would leave in the morning for a meeting of the Eorlingas. "Lord Darnley?" The older man sitting to my left turned to me. "Your Majesty, how may I serve you?" "You are a man of law. I wanted to ask you something. As I am sure you know, the Queen of Gondor was present at my wedding. She asked me to give her offspring noble titles of Rohan. Why was that so important to her? Surely my cousin Sienna will be the Crown Princess of Gondor unless a son is born?"

The man's friendly expression turned serious. "You are right, Lady Sienna is the Crown Princess unless the royal couple produce a son. However, as I am sure you know, a female heir to the throne is not common. I cannot give you Queen Tariél's reasons beyond doubt. However, I think her main purpose is to remind you that she has a remote right to your throne, as does her daughter."

My stomach turned abruptly. I leaned on the table and needed some time before I was relatively sure that the swindle was over. I felt incredibly stupid. Actually, I had known all this, it shouldn't have surprised me. Yes, I had known our family tree. I just hadn't realised how vulnerable I was. Yes, I was in good hope and would probably give birth to a healthy child. But I also knew that many women did not survive childbirth. And what if both I and the child died? Just the thought of it made me nauseous again.

When I had regained my composure, I turned again to Lord Darnley, who had also turned pale. But I didn't even let him get a word in edgewise.

"So this is why our countries are enemies. If I die, Gondor will annex Rohan. And once that is done, Arnor too is lost."