Title: Flickers of Light

Genre: Romance/General

Rating: M

Pairing: Éomer/Lothíriel

Disclaimer: The Lord of The Rings is the property of J. R. R. Tolkien and his estate. This is a work of fanfiction, written for the enjoyment of myself and others. No financial profit is made by writing this.

Summary: Asides from "A Light that Endures"

Author's Note: I think at this point it should be a very well-known fact among my readers that I have no self-control and I love to put myself into situations where I have two stories running at the same time. Well, to be honest this is not supposed to be an actively running spin-off or anything. The idea belongs to my readers, namely solar1 and Elealyon who wished to see the proposal scene. And when I was putting together this small thing it occurred to me: maybe I should have an entire aside story where I could update small (and potentially fluffy) drabbles/scenes every now and then?

I know that proposal came and went and is old news at this point of the story, but I don't care and I want some light stuff right now, so here it is at last. I will try to put aside some other scenes here and there, but altogether this collection of asides should be of a lighter nature than A Light that Endures is. Hope you enjoy it in any case!

1# All of me

The Golden Hall of the King was more full of people than Lothíriel had ever seen it. Indeed, it felt like the entire population of Edoras had somewhere got the idea they should all squash in and see if they could fit there. Soft chatter rose and fell at times, and everyone's attentions were directed towards the far end of the Hall.

"What is this even supposed to be?" asked Amrothos in irritation as he followed her; Lothíriel was with some difficulty clearing a way for them so that they could reach the other side of the hall, where she hoped the lord of this household would be. People made way reluctantly, and usually only when she made her best frown and informed the stubborn person standing on her way that she was King Elessar's personal messenger and had urgent business with the King. Her liege-lord's name worked almost instantly, as it was common knowledge that the two kings were very good friends. It wasn't nice to lie of course, but she felt Éomer wouldn't mind too much if he knew it was so that she could get to him.

"It's a gathering for the King's Justice, of course", she hissed over her shoulder. This was no time to start and explain her brother the Rohirric customs and how they had a far more direct relationship with their kings than was the case with Gondor.

"Do they have to gather so thickly, though?" Amrothos complained.

"Shut up, brother. We're almost there", she told him and stopped to persuade a particularly broad and tall rider to make way for them. Indeed, if they just were able to move forward few more feet they'd be able to see the dais and the throne.

Amrothos grumbled something to himself, but he kept following her – probably because he had not much choice about it at this point.

They stopped at last when Lothíriel had been able to get them to a spot from where they could see the King of Rohan executing his justice; this was about fifteen feet from the dais to the left from the throne. It was close enough for him to see them, if he had looked that way. However, Éomer was fully concentrated on the task at hand. In other words, he was completely focused on being the lord and ruler of this land.

The King's seat sat at the centre of the dais, facing the Golden Hall. On his both sides stood men of his own guard, dressed in heavy armour and rich green cloaks that bore the signs of the King's Riders – any sign of malicious intent would have immediately roused these men to protect their lord. Behind the throne were hanging the banners of his House: there was the White Horse of Eorl and the sun emblem, worked into the fabrics with skill any expert of embroidery could admire. The hangings were framed by golden cravings and pillars of wood, and far above the throne was a golden knot pattern so elaborate Lothíriel almost forgot herself staring at it. But the voice of the man sitting below that called back her attention.

How he sat there on the throne of the Riddermark, looking completely at ease and command of the situation, and with a circlet resting on his head... he truly was king. The look of his dark keen eyes was nothing like she had seen before: gone were the warmth and tenderness he showed to her. In one breathless moment she understood he was so much more than just that, and there were many things to him she had yet to learn.

And yet it was him. He was there in flesh, not just as a thought that would not leave alone her thoughts and dreams. Éomer was there and somehow this moment she became acutely aware of how easy it would be to lose him, and how many were the other eyes that followed his steps with longing. He could quite literally choose any unmarried woman in the western kingdom, and he owed nothing to the silly wild princess who in her stubborn insistence and in her fear had not really understood what it meant to have the love of this man who was lion among men. Amrothos had been more right than he had realised: if she let go of Éomer of Rohan, she'd forever regret it.

She moved. Without thinking she pushed through the crowd, eyes fixed on him; he had not yet seen her, but was talking in Rohirric and sounding a lot like he was finishing this gathering. But he never got to the end of it.

"Wait! I have a matter for the attention of the King", called Lothíriel over the crowd, interrupting him. All the eyes in the hall turned to her and she heard offended muttering – they were wondering who dared to interrupt the King when he was speaking.

He did not seem offended at all: instead, King Éomer sat frozen on his throne, staring at her in silence, and doubtlessly he was wondering just where she had appeared from and how could it even be that she was here. And yet, surprised as he was, she could see the way his eyes lit up at the sight of her, for the sheer pleasure of seeing her.

It was good to see him too, because he filled up that empty space he had left behind when he had departed, and all things suddenly made sense, and why had she been so blind?

I have missed you. I want to kiss you. I want you to shake me until I see stars for being so stupid. I want you to take this ache you left me with and turn it into something beautiful.

Those were not things one could say on the front of a crowd... but there was one thing she could say.

"Éomer King", she spoke, and it was a wonder how steady and strong her voice sounded then, "I have come here for one purpose, and one alone."

"What purpose is that, my lady?" he asked, staring at her.

She smiled.

"I have come to ask for your hand in marriage."

The silence in the Golden Hall of Edoras could have been cut with a knife. Somewhere, a glass dropped, and the sound of it breaking against the stone floor was all the more loud, and yet it did nothing to break the quiet. Maybe this wasn't what you said in the front of crowd either.

If Éomer's face had been surprised before, now it was just completely flabbergasted. With wide eye he stared at her, as though wondering if he was dreaming. He was quiet so long that Lothíriel began to worry she had made a huge mistake, but then suddenly he moved. With what looked like one fast but smooth movement he rose from the throne and came to her. There, on the front of the silent crowd, he picked up both her hands. Her heart skipped a beat as she searched his face... but the only thing she could see there was a large smile, the kind she had never seen before.

"And my answer is yes, my Lady Princess", he said. Somehow, he was able to turn his voice both soft but also loud, so that his people could hear what he told her. He spoke again, but now so that only she heard, "You may have it, my dearest Lioness. As a matter of fact you may have all of me."

"I will not be content with anything less", she told him... and just like they had kissed in the port of Harlond she kissed him again now, there before his people and the eyes of the Mark, and that day there was a great cheer in Edoras, for soon there would again be a Queen in the Golden Hall.

As for Amrothos, his comments – which were lengthy – could be summarised as such: "You just had to do that, didn't you?"