…Isenóre…

(Mine)

Title: …Isenóre… (mine)
Series: His, Mine, and Ours.
Sequel to: …His…
Author: Zee
Fandom: Tolkien
Genre: FCHet
Characters: Eomer, Gamling
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: NOT MINE! I promise to give them back when I've wrung them out well and there is nothing left but the bones.
Timeline: 7 years after the war
Setting: Rohan. Takes place approximately five months before the last chapter of …His…
Beta: Alex
Author's Notes: A companion piece to …His… Sorry. This little bunny just would NOT leave me alone.

Summary - Eomer King receives news he is not expecting to hear.

Spring

It was a long, two moons and while my heart sung at the sight of Meduseld and the thought of sleeping in my own bed that eve, my very soul dreaded the upcoming report I would be forced to give my king. Whether he blamed me for the ill-timed news was simply beside the point. It was information I should have been aware of sooner; much sooner and the mere thought that it went on unchecked and left to grow on its own brought at the very least sorrow to my liege and created a situation that was best to be left alone.

My men were joking, their mood lightened. They spoke of their wives, their girlfriends. Several talked of spending hard earned pay at the brothel. More times than I cared to count, I enjoyed the sweet, feminine touch of a compensated woman, but as I aged, I disliked paying for someone who massaged my muscles and other things because I paid them to. Such release was fleeting. After seeing the heartache my lord and the young Wudurose went through years ago and knowing the heartache I was going to be forced to put Éomer through now over six years later, I again decided that love was for fools and young men and it was not a step I desired to take.

Some long hours later, after I had fed and stabled my horse, I headed to the Great Hall for a bite to eat and gave Éomer King my report. The guard at the front doors nodded in deference to me. Many times, I had been offered a spot in Meduseld as the King's personal guard, as I was the captain of the former King's guard and just as many times I declined because I was the only one who could give the current King the news I was about to give him. He knew and understood this and compensated me well, but that day, I wished it were different.

I sought him out the moment I arrived. I prayed he was alone, but that was not meant to be. His young queen sat with him, causing him to laugh, the echo ringing throughout the hall. Regardless of the fact the marriage was arranged for political purposes, it was obvious to all that the queen adored Éomer and doted on him and it was clear he returned those feelings.

But there was a part of his heart that he guarded and guarded deep and he did not discuss the woman that held that dear, well-hidden spot and I was getting ready to snatch that piece and bring it to the surface.

Éomer saw me and if his smile could get brighter, it did. He motioned me over, calling me by name. "Gamling!" he called out, his smile infectious. "You are here just in time!"

I made my way to the dais. I bowed to both, taking extra care to smile at the queen. "We have wondrous news, Gamling," she added softly. Her lilting Belfalian accent made our language sound exotic and gave it an odd cadence. She beamed at her husband before continuing. "We are expecting another child."

I forced myself to smile fuller, harder and congratulated both. The young heir was coming on his second summer. I was happy for them; Éomer took great joy in his son, openly being the indulgent father. "When should we expect the newest prince or princess?"

"Late summer," Éomer King responded. "Another boy would be welcome, but I would be happy with a girl." He picked up his wife's hand and kissed the knuckles. "A little girl with her mother's eyes." Lothiriel blushed and dipped her head, before Éomer turned his attention back to me. "So tell me, old man, what news of the Riddermark?"

My heart rose in my throat. It was all I could do to keep my smile from dropping. It was the code we developed long ago, a code created when I began to go into the east several times a year. Truthfully, I could keep the news from him, answer that all was well and this duty would be past me until the next time I went into the Eastenmet. Try as I wanted to, I could not lie to him time after time after time.

But he wanted to know, made it clear each time he sent me and each time I came back, so I answered with the phrase we agreed on so long ago, when she ran and I tracked her through the end of a hard winter. A phrase to let him know we needed to talk, and we needed to talk away from prying ears and eyes. "Old man? I could beat your arse in a race tomorrow without thinking twice, youngling."

Lothiriel threw back her head laughing, not realizing her husband's unoccupied hand clutched the chair arm for a moment and his smile drooped a bit. He quickly regained it. "Tomorrow then? Or are you too tired?"

Truth be told, I was exhausted. I needed hot food, a hot bath, and a bed where no evening acrobatics were taking place. "After lunch will be fine, sire."

"Should we send a referee?" The Queen had no idea we were up to and took the jesting in stride. She had quickly learned that the Rohirrim were not as tied to pomp and ceremony as the formal court she was raised in.

"No," Éomer grinned. I noticed the smile did not reach his eyes. They suddenly took on a haunted sadness. "We have raced many times and neither one of us has reason to cheat. We have no cause to." His answering dip was minimal, as it should be. "I will meet you in the Royal Stable to saddle up after lunch. We will discuss your report while we are out." With that, I was dismissed.

As I sat at the table, eating from the trencher served to me, I could feel the heated stare from the king. I doubt he slept that night.

~~~…~~~

tbc