Just a sappy version of how Eomer and Lothiriel may have met after the war. Much more light-hearted than anything I have written before. Hope you enjoy. Mrs-E x
The morning was hot and balmy, and the residents of Dol Amroth were finding solace inside from the heat. The pale marble arched buildings reflected the sun's glare and provided much needed shade. Despite the need for rest from the searing heat, a group of young women decided rather to find comfort by the royal lido. It was a good place to be on a hot day. The pool though not completely shaded, was built into the rock of the cliff face with a garden of willow trees and sycamores around the periphery. It was the perfect spot to have some fun but remain concealed to from the sun and prying eyes.
The women lay by the pool in clothing that most people would deem unsuitable for genteel and proper ladies. However, Dol Amroth was renowned for its beautiful and somewhat tropical weather and such garments were commonplace in the south. Their thin gauze dresses came in all manner of shades; dusky pinks, pale sea blues and perfect white. Though the girls were scantily clad their bathing robes covered their delicate parts well enough. Just to be on the safe side, the bathing beauties had brought a handful of guards down to the lido with them. Prince Imrahil's own house captains. These men were sworn to protect them, but kept their distance so they didn't intrude on the girls privacy.
Most of the women had abandoned the pool and were now lay drying off in the comfort of the shaded terrace. Others played card games whilst sipping on sweetened wine, enjoying the gossipping conversations of their friends. A small group however remained in the water, draped over the stone steps that sank straight into the water. Their bathing dresses floating around them in the water like sea kelp. The youngest in their party had just turned twenty and was excited for the party celebrations that weeks end. She sat at the top of the pool steps, ankles in the water, her bathing dress saturated around the bottom and clinging to her frame.
"It will be a night to remember that's for sure!" She said happily.
"Oh yes. Is it true that your father has invited everyone from the Citadel?" An auburn haired women quipped.
Her name was Arniel and she was a good friend of the young woman's middle brother and renowned for wild bouts of romantic fantasy.
"Not everyone Arniel, but as many that he knows." She replied.
"And what of the Rohirrim? Amorthos told me their King and your father became fast friends during the wars. Will he come?" A girl dressed in turquoise asked eagerly.
"I don't think so...hang on Maeldis, what do you mean Amrothos told you?When?"
Her friend turned the darkest shade of pink as embarrassment flushed in her cheeks. Maeldis had long been a companion of Amrothos, though neither had formally announced their intention for one another. However she couldn't lie to her friend, he was her brother after all.
"He told me the other night after the homecoming feast. We were walking down in the olive grove and…"
"I don't want to know anymore!" Arniel squealed, knowing full well what her friend meant.
"How could you Maeldis he's my annoying brother." The young girl said in feigned disgust.
"Don't judge me Rie, you might only see him as your brother...but he is infinitely more."
"Mael' don't tell me you've…" Arniel added
"A lady never reveals her secrets."
"Eurgh! Please no more I don't' want to hear it!" Rie splashed Maeldis with pool water playfully.
The small group began splashing one another and giggled loudly in mirth.
It was then that Rie glanced up towards the wall that enclosed the royal pool. She spotted two faces peering over the high wall spying on her friends and she. She didn't recognise their faces but the young girl knew it couldn't be one of their guards as they faced north toward the steps that climbed back up the cliff face.
She shouted sharply at the two intruders,
"You there, do you always spy on unsuspecting women?"
The guards hearing her shout came to assist but were too late as the strangers ducked away quickly and were gone in a flash. The armed men flew over the wall and took off in pursuit of the intruders.
The women soon left the confines of the private pool. They had been unsettled by the intruders and felt they were wise to return to the castle above. They climbed the stars in uneasy silence most of the way, but by the time they had reached the secluded patio at the top of the stairs they felt safe enough to begin gossiping about what had just happened.
"Did you get a look at them Rie?" One of the older women asked suspiciously.
"No they were too quick."
"I did and I am sure their hair was blonde."
"You saw them Maeldis? Then why did you not call out."
"Well I was too frightened. Who knows what they might have done?"
"Or how long they had been hiding there." Arniel added dizzily.
"Whomever they were, they'll be long gone by now." Rie finished.
As the small group turned the next corner they heard the unmistakeable sound of metal being scraped on the floor. Two men were being thrown down, their hands bound behind their backs. However they weren't men as suspected, merely boys no older than sixteen perhaps seventeen Rie thought.
"We caught them my lady. The were trying to escape into the market, but we spotted them." One of the guards said breathlessly.
"Thank you Calardon."
"See I told you they were blonde!" Maeldis said victoriously.
Rie threw her friend a weary look and then grasping her towel towards her more fervently she approached the two fiends on the floor.
They were wearing heavy armour and thick woollen clothing. Much too heavy for the time of year. They seemed to be in a uniform of some fashion as their chestplates bore the same patterns and shape. Rie didn't recognise the symbols.
Her friends huddled behind her attempting to hide their modesty, or they pretended at least. They were young and the past few months of war had not helped them mature as well as they should. The idea that these strange foreigners had been spying on them in this way titillated their inexperienced minds and made them feel somewhat older. They hid their giggles well but Rie knew they were enjoying the spectacle in front of them.
"Who are you?" She eventually asked carefully.
The boys were pulled to their knees roughly by the guards and stared at one another clearly trying to decide whether to tell the truth to the girls. The captains behind them ensured they understood the severity of what they had just done, however they weren't willing to let their guard down that easy.
The taller of the two looked up at Rie cautiously and the young girl couldn't be sure, but thought she saw the briefest smirk cross his face. It wasn't a smile of mirth but something she thought was much more seductive, or at least had meant it to be. However the smirk turned into a look of sheer horror when a voice called from behind the young ladies.
"Bremund, Framling?"
The voice was strong and commanding. It matched its owner perfectly. He was extremely tall and broad chested, with hair just as long and blonde as his companions. His face was fearsome but held a handsome kindness.
Rie turned to look at the newcomer but noticed from the corner of her eye that the two boys bowed their heads respectfully at the man.
"Eomer King, forgive us sire." The tall man said anxiously.
The girls began twittering once more when they heard the new mans name. They had heard it so many times recently, but none had ever had the fortune to meet the man. However the newly crowned warrior King of the Rohirrim was everything they had come to hear and believe.
Eomer approached the little group and glanced sideways at the young beauty standing in front of his men. He noticed first her slender neck, exposed as her hair had been drawn away into a loose braid, pinned around her head. The King followed the line of her dress- if he could call it that- from her collar downwards and noticed that the thin slip hung languidly on her slight frame. The cut of the garment hid everything it was meant to, however he noted that the back of the dress fell low on a tanned and perfect back. The fabric was slightly damp and clung to the woman's backside provocatively. Eomer coughed himself back to his senses but knew that his lingering stare had not gone unnoticed by the pretty woman.
"Explain yourselves?" He commanded.
The two men began to tell their King how they happened upon the group of women. Rie did not believe a word of what they told, but commended their attempts to hide their poor behaviour.
She smiled inwardly as they continued to weave their excuses and dared to look at the new man that had entered the scene. He was extremely good looking she had to admit, but a giant in comparison to the Amrothian guards. The way he had looked at her as he sauntered over had been lengthy to say the least and almost borderline lustful. However despite her friends silly giggling behind her, she wasn't offended by his stare nor ashamed at how he found her.
"Enough. You will return to the encampment and await further instruction." Eomer commanded calmly.
The two soldiers were released from their bonds and escorted back by the guards with tails firmly between their legs.
"Forgive me ladies, please accept my apology on their behalf."
The girls giggled sheepishly at the King and began looking towards each other hopefully. Whom would be bold enough to speak first. It was Rothiel that decided to speak,
"You are too kind my lord. But if you don't mind we would like to retire and change."
This caused the girls to break out in hysterical laughter as they left quickly. Rie was the last one on the private patio with the Rohirrim King. She began to walk away in the same direction her friends had left when he stopped her,
"Perhaps lady you would share with me your name?"
She looked at him cautiously.
"Questions will be asked and I wouldn't like to offend."
The King had no idea whom the beauty was, but was desperate to know more about her. As he spoke his eyes betrayed him once more and he found himself looking at her rear. He noticed how the small droplets of water on her lower back glistened in the sun and dripped slowly down into the folds of her dress.
She stood and returned his gaze with one of her own. The young woman bit her lip and answered softly, "Rie, my name is Rie."
It was true but she was cautious not to give the King her full name. Noticing that lustful look he had shown her earlier she continued playfully, "You're staring my Lord."
Eomer looked at her shocked but saw the playfulness in her eye.
"You can hardly expect me not to. When a beautiful, bare skinned women stands before me."
The young woman looked down at her outfit and noticed how even though the fabric had started to dry, it was still rather see through. She knew from his tone, that the man called Eomer wasn't chastising her for her appearance, quite the opposite. She felt instantly attracted to him, which she knew was absurd. Men had been affectionate with her in the past, but under the ever watching eye of a powerful father and three soldier brother, no man had dared been this forward. She wasn't naiive enough to believe herself in love either, that was Arniel's fortay. No, this was without a doubt lust.
"Perhaps where you are from it would seem I am. But in Dol Amroth this is more than suitable for a swim."
He cocked an eyebrow playfully and chided, "Swimming? Is that what you call it?"
Eomer couldn't believe himself. He wasn't so normally this familiar with women. He had known his share of course, what man of his age hadn't. But then again he had never come across a creature so beautiful and tempting as the one stood before him. Despite himself he parried her jibes with ones as playful of his own and closed the gap between them and noticed that he was a good head taller than her.
"Yes we were swimming."
Rie, didn't know what came over her. She knew to be caught unaware in her bathing dress was one thing, but to stand there now semi-clad with a man she did not know, without a chaperone was scandalous. However she cared not. The heat rising in her stomach filled her to the brim and she could feel her chest rise and fall incoherently as he inched closer towards her.
"Perhaps you should take better protection next time. That way you need not fear anyone to be watching."
The King of Rohan reached out for the woman's fingers that hung limply by her sides. His touch made a jolt of pleasure coarse through her very core. It was wrong that he touched her so intimately but she wanted him to continue.
"Whom might you suggest my Lord? You?"
That garnered a seductive smile from the Rohirrim King. His hands caressed her soft skin from wrist to elbow, stroking their way up towards her shoulders. All the while he gazed into her silver eyes with his own honeyed-brown ones. The young woman looked at his lips as they held the smile. A smile that assured her what the answer was. He was about to kiss her when she heard Maeldis call from inside,
"Rie it's time to come in!"
Annoyed yet slightly relieved, Eomer watched as the beauty scampered off inside. He didn't know who she was or what effect she had on him, he just knew he wanted more. Right now however, he felt a quip dip might be what he needed more.
A/N - I wanted to write this story, as all my other Eothiriel stories I've written, portray Lothiriel as quite serious. I wanted to have a bit of fun with her character and Eomer too. Let me know what you think. Thanks Mrs -E x