As she predicted, the young lord of Cliving didn't join the rest of the men on their hunting trip. Instead, Lord Altor sat at the back of the palace with an open book on his lap.
"My lord Altor, may I join you for a while?" Adiwen asked politely.
He raised his eyes from his book to see who was talking with him. "Have you ever waited for anyone's approval to do as you wish before?"
She took this as permission to join him, even though they both knew that he was correct. Adiwen sat next to the younger son of the lord of Cliving. He had clear blue eyes, laughing wrinkles around his eyes and he kept his blond hair short.
"Is your reading interesting, my lord?" She finally asked him.
"Of course. It is about Eorl the young. It is fascinating to see how the Gondorians view us and our history". Altor had already turned back to his book, more interested in it than her.
"Did you bring it back from Mudburg?"
"I was in Dol Amroth last month".
"Did you bring it back from Dol Amroth?"
"No".
"Where did you find the book then?"
"I borrowed it from the King's private collection".
Her questions felt stilted and crude. Altor was a notoriously difficult man to make small talk to. She wondered if he found her boring and uncultivated in comparison to the Dol Amrothorian ladies who can sing, read and write.
"The King and the Prince must love reading..." She ventured forth, trying to bring her small interrogation to the point she wanted.
Altor closed his book with a loud thud, surprising her. He turned around to look her in the eyes, with a certain mirth she could not understand what it meant.
"They like reading. After all, our King was raised in Gondor and Queen Morwen had in her possession a good collection of poetry". He kept staring at her, not offering anything more that could help her phrase her request.
He had figured out what she wanted to ask, she could tell. She flushed with sudden anger; he was irritating! "Will you teach me how to read?" She asked without any more ado.
Altor's face was unreadable again. "You want to attract Prince Theodred".
"You seem to have all the necessary facts, my lord". She mocked him and a smile formed on his face, but it disappeared fast. Why?
"I can teach you how to read, but I will not do it".
"Why not?" She demanded to know. "You did not even hear out what I have..."
He raised a smooth hand to stop her. "I will teach you how to read and write in Gondorian language that the Royal Family favours for most of their business".
Read and write? She groaned.
"Don't complain to me, Lady Adiwen. You have to learn both or I teach you nothing at all. Your choice".
She stood up from her place next to him. "I will see you tomorrow, Lord Altor".
