A/N: This is something of an experiment, possibly inspired by shie1dmaidenofrohan. Awhile ago, she did a one-shot of Faramir's POV for a single chapter of her story An Act of Desperation (and did it incredibly well, I might add). I suppose that may have been rattling around in my brain all this time, and I suddenly got the urge to rewrite No Mistake, but doing it from Eomer's POV. Much of what you read will be familiar (assuming you've read No Mistake already, which is a good idea). Obviously the dialogue is identical when Eomer and Lothiriel, etc. are speaking together in the same situations I used in No Mistake. But this time you will get Eomer's perspective. This omits all thoughts/activities that were unique to Lothiriel and replaces them with those unique to Eomer.

Anyway, let me know what you think. If there is enough interest, I may follow through and do the same thing to By The Book (the sequel to No Mistake). And, yes, you can call me a lazy bum for not writing something totally original...

(July, 3019 III)

Chapter 1

Eowyn caught my arm and pulled me to a nearby balcony that overlooked the courtyard. We had heard the sound of horses below, and as I gazed down I could see the flag of Dol Amroth heralding Imrahil's arrival. He and his family had dismounted and were presently being greeted by the King and Queen, in addition to their cousin, Faramir, the Steward of Gondor. We had an excellent view of the proceedings, and I quickly picked out Imrahil and his three sons. With them was a young lady; no doubt the Lady Lothiriel, Imrahil's daughter.

Since before we left Edoras on this trek, Eowyn had spoken about her almost as incessantly as she did about Faramir. I did my best to turn a deaf ear, but my sister is most persistent. When we returned to Edoras carrying our uncle's body for his funeral, we would also be trothplighting Eowyn to Faramir. With her marital future secured, she now had set her sights on me and was determined to marry me off as well. Somewhere along the line, possibly in conspiracy with her soon-to-be-betrothed, she had decided that Lothiriel of Dol Amroth would be the perfect choice of wife for me. And, so, at every opportunity I was inundated with raptures about the lady's many virtuous qualities. As if Theoden's funeral march and my newly acquired duties as King of Rohan weren't enough burden, I was made to endure my sister's matchmaking attempts. I was not looking forward to the next month. The sooner Lothiriel of Dol Amroth was back in her own city and I was in mine, the better I would like it.

I had become lost in my thoughts on this dreary matter when I was brought back to the present by Eowyn pointing the lady out to me, as if I could not see well enough with my own eyes. After all, she was the only lady in the party; I could hardly miss her! As I looked down, I glimpsed Faramir catching the lady's arm and pointing toward us, saying a few words to her. She glanced up and for a moment our gazes met. The look on her face was no more eager than the one I'm sure I wore. I could not deny the lady was handsome enough; since my time in Gondor I had come to find the dark tresses of the ladies here rather appealing. But I wanted no wife just yet and I resented having one forced upon me. Turning away, I continued on down the hallway as before and reluctantly Eowyn hurried to follow me.

"Well, what do you think of her?" she asked.

With a sigh, I responded, "Eowyn, I can hardly pass judgement on someone I have glimpsed once from a distance. She is pleasing to the eye, but then so are many other women in both Gondor and Rohan." I was insistently noncommittal and Eowyn scowled at me.

"Brother, at least give her a chance to suit you. Do not reject her outright. She is a lovely girl, and Faramir tells me the two of you have much in common."

"Indeed? Has she recently been made King of a country because her beloved uncle and cousin were lost in battle? Does she struggle daily in trying to rebuild her country, and see that her people are safe and provided for through the coming winter? Is she a consummate horsewoman who prefers to spend more time in the saddle than on foot? Has she spent the better part of her life as a soldier, killing orcs and other assorted enemies of her country?"

"Eomer!" my sister interrupted. "You know very well that is not what I meant." She stopped and sighed, catching my arm again and pulling me to a stop. Stepping to face me, she said, "At least promise me you will give her a chance. You have to marry sometime, and Rohan needs an heir to the throne in case anything should happen to you. Would you not rather meet a lovely girl and have it happen easily, than have to spend a great deal of time trying to find someone suitable that you could at least tolerate? Your advisers and our people could hardly find fault if you were to bring home a princess as your wife, strengthening the ties with Gondor and Dol Amroth in the bargain. Just try to enjoy her company. You do not have to marry her if you truly do not care for her."

I put my hands on Eowyn's shoulders and looked her sternly in the eye. "I know that what you say is true, and I will eventually need to find a wife, but I do not have time for such matters at present. There is too much else that presses upon me. Please do not put any further demands on me just now. I will be polite to the young lady, and I will not refuse to like her, but I make you no promises."

Before she could argue more, I resumed my walk to my room, not much farther down the hallway. Eowyn did not follow me, and as I opened my door, I glanced back and saw her, hands on hips, looking quite annoyed with me. Determinedly, I went inside, refusing to let her make me feel guilty. Rohan's needs came first. Romance would have to wait a while.

A few hours later, I reluctantly left my room to head down to supper. As I made my way through a long, airy corridor, with many balconies branching off it, I suddenly caught the sound of an argument taking place. I had just stepped on a broad stretch of carpet, and my footfall was deadened of sound. It was unlikely the pair could hear my approach. I hesitated a moment, wondering the best way to deal with the matter. The balconies were shallow and it was unlikely they would not see me pass by and realize I had heard at least some of their conversation.

While I pondered my course of action, I suddenly became aware that the conversation was about me, and then I recognized the man was Faramir. Without thinking, I stepped into a nearby alcove. As soon as I did, I knew it was a stupid move. While it would keep them from being aware of my presence and causing embarrassment, it meant I was stuck eavesdropping on them.

As the discussion progressed, I realized the woman must be the Lady Lothiriel, who apparently had a decidedly unfavorable opinion of me. Her arguments against me were rather unfair, given we had never even been introduced yet. How did she know whether or not my manners were coarse from a mere glimpse of me? But then the reason for her disapproval became evident. As with me and Eowyn, apparently Imrahil was pushing her toward a match with me, and she was just as disinclined as I was. At least Faramir took my part and spoke well of me, but there was no evidence she was convinced of anything he said.

A moment later, I heard their voices moving away down the corridor, and I waited a bit then risked a peek. When the coast was clear, I continued on my way to the welcoming feast. It was likely I would be introduced to her at the feast, but at least now I knew she was no more inclined to endure this meddling than I was. Even so, I knew this could prove a tedious evening, with both Eowyn and Imrahil interfering in matters. I tried to steel myself for what was coming. Knowing she was no more interested than I was suggested I wasn't likely to offend her if I refused to play this game.

I soon reached the noise of the banquet hall and was announced. All eyes fell upon me as I moved to my seat next to King Elessar. Faramir and Lothiriel had not yet put in appearance and I was glad I had managed to arrive first. I was even more relieved when it was clear that Imrahil's family was seated on the opposite side of the King from me. I would at least be able to eat supper in peace.

After the meal, the stiffness returned to my shoulders and neck as the room was prepared for dancing. Now the worst of it would come. With any luck, I could plead fatigue and slip away early. A few tankards of ale might help matters also...

It didn't take long to spot Imrahil headed my way, bringing his children with him, and I was soon introduced to the young lady. She stiffly curtsied and forced a smile, but said nothing. On closer glimpse, she was indeed a lovely woman. She was taller than many women, just as her brothers and father were taller than most. Also like them, there was a faintly Elvish appearance to her features, though in her it seemed more pronounced than in the men. Her dark wavy hair had been done up in an intricate style with flowers and pearls interwoven. Indeed, I could find nothing wanting in her appearance. But her eyes were cold and distant, and it was evident to me how much she was balking at this arrangement.

To make matters worse, the music began and her father suggested my taking her as my partner to help start off the dancing. I could hardly refuse in a polite way, so I unenthusiastically made the offer.

"I would be quite pleased to dance with your daughter, Prince Imrahil, if she is so inclined."

She gave me a weak smile and accepted the offer, so we moved into the dance area and took up position. As the dance began, she seemed to be avoiding looking at me, but eventually that faded and she began a polite, indifferent conversation.

"And how do you like Minas Tirith, my lord?"

I intended to respond just as indifferently, but ended up being more honest than I wanted to be, saying, "It is pleasant enough a place, though I do not care for all this stone. I miss the open plains and mountains of my home." I could not restrain the wistful tone of my voice as I mentioned home. Indeed, I would much rather have been there than on this tortuous dance floor.

After a moment, however, I realized that my comment was a bit rude and I had no real desire to offend her; this was not her fault. So I added, "I suppose part of what makes me nervous about Minas Tirith is my sister's earnest desire to marry me off to a noblewoman of Gondor. Apparently, people who are in love want everyone else to be in love also."

I thought my words would give her a hint that I was no more interested in courting her than she was in having me do so, but to my surprise, she asked, "And you do not desire love?"

But it was a fair question, I supposed, so I seized the opportunity to further explain and help her recognize my meaning. "I have nothing against love, but I am not overly fond of matchmaking on my behalf. I wish Eowyn could understand that I am far too busy just now to concern myself with such things."

For a moment, I thought I glimpsed understanding in her eyes, but she asked, "And you think you will have more time for it later?" Then she added, almost as an afterthought, "I would think the longer you are King, the busier you will be."

I was caught off-guard by the response, and wondered if somehow I had been mistaken in my assumption she was disinterested. Still, again, it was an accurate observation, so I risked believing that she still had no interest in me and told her, "You may be right. Perhaps my real objection is that advisors are taking over every part of my life now and I do not wish to let them interfere in that particular part. I do not want a marriage solely for political reasons or a desperate need to produce an heir."

Suddenly she favored me with what I considered her first genuine smile since our meeting, and she commented, "I cannot say that I blame you for that." She hesitated ever so slightly and then added, "However, I fear, my lord, that your sister, as well as my father, are quite determined. We will have our hands full trying to avoid their matchmaking!"

Inwardly, I sighed with relief. I had not been mistaken, and I grinned eagerly at her, trying to make it clear we were in complete agreement on the matter. A moment later, she leaned slightly toward me and whispered, "I will ignore their best efforts if you will, my lord!"

That matter settled, I nodded pleasantly and twirled her to the right, continuing the dance with greater enthusiasm. When it ended, I bowed and she curtsied, and we went our separate ways. Our relatives wore chagrined looks that we seemed utterly disinterested in one another.

I suspected that I would need to keep myself well occupied the remainder of the evening or they would again attempt to force us together, so I made it a point to dance with as many ladies as I could, carefully staying well away from anywhere I spotted Lothiriel. I also managed several tankards of ale, as I had hoped, resulting in the evening becoming much less tedious.

A few times I did find my gaze wandering to Lothiriel, usually while I was quenching my thirst, and I could not help but study her. Certainly she was a puzzle. There were few women, especially noblewomen, who would decline the chance to impress a king. There had been something rather refreshing in our exchange on the dance floor. I doubted many women would have dared ask me the questions or make the comments that she had. But I shook off these musings and made a point of turning my attentions elsewhere lest someone catch my eyes upon her and mistake my interest.

The evening droned on, and I finally felt I had stayed long enough to feign weariness and be excused. I had not seen Lothiriel for about the last hour, so I was able to avoid being dragged over to say goodnight to her or have anyone make some embarrassing suggestion about the two of us.

As I moved down the darkened hall, lit only with a few torches, I noticed a pleasant cooling breeze coming in from outside and diverted my path toward it. I found myself in a moonlit garden and took a deep breath. After spending so much of my life outdoors, all these feasts and kingly activities indoors were quite wearing. I breathed deeply of the night air, glad to flush out the smoke and perfume from inside, and I worked my shoulders to ease the stiffness in them.

I glanced up at the clear night sky and enjoyed the sight of stars. For too long they had been obscured in darkness, and I was pleased the shadow had at last passed from our lands. Moving deeper into the garden, I was suddenly brought to a halt by a gasp of surprise. The figure moved slightly and the moonlight hit her – it was Lothiriel. Wonderful. We had been trying to avoid each other all night and here we ended up alone in a garden together. Ruefully, I told her, "My apologies. I did not see you there."

She answered politely, "It is alright, my lord. The night is dark and I was making no effort to be seen."

I shifted nervously, wondering what to say to her and what I should do, then rather lamely commented, "It is late. Shouldn't you be going inside soon?"

To my surprise, she let out a laugh and told me, "Perhaps, but I have escaped the evening relatively unscathed and I want to savor my first, hopefully one of many, victory over my meddlesome family. What better a place than in the dark, under the stars?"

I couldn't help but smile, and told her, "Indeed. We did very well at thwarting them, to be sure."

Even so, we fell into an awkward silence, and I was trying to think of a polite way to excuse myself when she invited, "Will you join me for a bit? If you are as tired as I am, your feet would likely welcome the respite."

I hesitated ever so briefly, but I was finding her ever more intriguing, and this seemed an opportune moment, away from scheming eyes, to get to know her better. I nodded and took a seat beside her, whereupon she began asking about the stars in Rohan.

Grateful for something to say, I answered her question, but after a moment her comment sank in about 'finding out for herself in a few weeks' and I asked, "You are coming to Rohan?"

She explained that she would be accompanying her family for Theoden's funeral and expressed excitement at the prospect of the journey, despite the somber occasion. I was surprised at her interest; few in Gondor seemed very curious about Rohan, and the general impression I got was that many considered us rather barbaric.

With a smile, I replied, "My uncle would not have wanted to dampen such enthusiasm for visiting Rohan, so neither shall I. We will be honored to have you there and do all that we can to see that you enjoy yourself."

She thanked me and we lapsed into silence again, but this time it did not feel so uncomfortable. That surprised me, since I could think of no woman other than Eowyn with whom I would be able to sit in such silence and not feel obligated to come up with some sort of conversation to fill the air.

She shifted her position next to me, and in so doing kicked one of her shoes, exposing her bare feet to the moonlight. I could not help grinning at the sight – surely I had never before been in the presence of a lady who was barefoot! I told her, "I am envious, my lady. Your attire, or lack thereof, seems most inviting, but I fear Kings are not indulged in such frivolous behavior as going barefooted."

She smiled teasingly in return and made the strangest comment ever addressed to me, "Tis a pity, then, that you do not wear skirts, my lord." More than a little startled, I gave her a curious look and she explained, "A lady's skirts can hide many things, including bare feet! I am afraid trousers are too revealing for such activities."

I could not restrain a laugh and said, "The King of Rohan in skirts? Now that would be a sight to see!"

Suddenly she blushed and urged me not to tell her father she had said such a thing, indicating he would be mortified to learn she had said something like that to me, even in jest.

I assured her, "Your secret is safe with me. And now, at least, when my feet are hot and tired and I would gladly remove my boots but am unable to do so, I may privately distract myself with the image of the King wearing a skirt whilst barefoot!"

She laughed appreciatively at the mental picture I had painted and told me, "Ah, but if you ever succumb and do actually wear a skirt for that purpose, beware! What a King does is always considered fashionable, and soon you would find all the men of Rohan in skirts and bare feet!"

I could not help myself; I exploded with laughter, and she laughed along with me. Truly this was the most bizarre conversation I had ever held in my life. And I was enjoying every minute of it. It had been a long time since I had really laughed at anything, and certainly I had never had such a pleasant time in a lady's company. Many were beautiful and physically enticing, and a very few were intelligent and could discuss deep matters, but I could not think of any, save my sister only, who would dare be so open and, well, silly in speaking with me. Especially now that I was king, and I greatly missed having people be so at ease with me and freely speaking their minds.

She tried to stifle a yawn next to me and I realized how late it must be. I rose and commented, "Perhaps we should go in, before you think of any other changes to my wardrobe." I offered my hand, so she collected her shoes and took it.

We walked in a comfortable silence to my door, where I bowed and entered. Just as I moved to close it, I glimpsed Imrahil making for his daughter's room with a stern look on his face. Hopefully he had not seen us together and would not say anything to her to dampen her evening. Certainly I owed her a debt of gratitude for making the night less dreary.