A/N: Last chapter, but there's a new Chronicle waiting in the wings. It will post in the next few days.

Silver Lining

Chapter 3

Eomer awoke slowly, and then leisurely stretched, a contented grin spreading over his face. His time spent in the garden with Lothiriel had been most pleasant indeed, though Elphir had turned up to summon them back inside. Eomer wasn't sure if he had seen them embracing or not; if so, he had not mentioned it, or given any indication that he had, although it had not been entirely clear why he had come looking for them either.

Amrothos had been seen lurking about, looking smug and knowing, which annoyed Eomer greatly, but he refused to let it dampen the pleasurable memory of Lothiriel in his arms. And, since no one seemed upset, if they knew of it, he saw no reason to worry.

Unfortunately, today was his sister's wedding, and that would keep him far too occupied for him to pursue further conversation with the lady of his choosing. Perhaps tonight, at the wedding feast, they would again be able to seclude themselves somewhere, only this time he fully intended to speak plainly and make his intentions known to her. He would not have her thinking he was merely stealing kisses in the moonlight, without serious purpose. With renewed vigor, he climbed from his bed and began preparing for the day.

By the time he reached the dining chamber, Eomer had thought he might be a bit late, but instead found he was one of the first ones there. Only Faramir had yet arrived, and the two men nodded cordially to one another. Taking a seat across from his soon-to-be brother, Eomer leaned back in his chair, letting his thoughts wander back to the previous evening. Before he could get too far into his reverie, however, Faramir spoke.

"Eomer…do not mistake my meaning, but…I hope your intentions toward my cousin are honorable. I confess, it has been made known to me that you were seen last night in a, shall we say, compromising position."

Eomer met the man's eyes evenly despite the slight flush he could feel rising in his face. "I assure you, Faramir, I have the utmost respect for your cousin, and would never do anything to dishonor her. I do not know what was reported to you as seen by someone, but there was nothing reproachable. The lady herself did not find my behavior objectionable, and I made no false promises to secure her acquiescence." He could have explained more, but he refused to discuss his intentions with others until he had discussed them with Lothiriel herself.

Faramir eyed him speculatively for a few moments, and then nodded his acceptance. "Very well. I will take you at your word on that. I would only remind you that she is as loved by her brothers, and cousin, as Eowyn is by you." His meaning was clear and Eomer nodded his understanding.

The conversation had taken the edge off Eomer's good humor, and he was glad the others began to arrive just then for the meal. Predictably, the day proved as busy as he had expected. He only got a glimpse of Lothiriel twice, from a distance, but he comforted himself with the hope of a dance that evening.

Eowyn's nervousness was expressing itself in excessive attention to detail, and for a time Eomer got sucked into her demands to find this or do that, but at length he escaped with Aragorn, and the men holed up safely out of sight of the women, leaving them to their preparations.

Aragorn even joined him on a trip down to the Rohirrim camp while he conducted some business with Eothain, and despite his personal guard trailing him everywhere and the deference shown him, the Gondorian king seemed to enjoy the more relaxed atmosphere of his guests. It occurred to Eomer that it must have been even more difficult for Aragorn than himself in stepping into a royal role. The court at Meduseld was not so rigid as Gondor's, and he enjoyed much greater freedom for the way he behaved and interacted with his people. While he was not so foolish as to venture outside Edoras without an escort, he could move around the town fairly freely without always being attended, as Aragorn seemed to be.

They took dinner in the camp with Eothain, laughing and reminiscing. In the course of their conversation, Eomer realized he had not seen Legolas or Gimli recently, and inquired, "Where have the Elf and the Dwarf wandered off? I do not recall them at the meals recently, and I have never known Gimli to pass up food!"

Aragorn snickered. "True! But Legolas induced him to visit Ithilien and see the work that has been done there. I do not believe Gimli cared a great deal for the idea – either riding a horse or seeing more trees – but, for Legolas, he would do anything and so they are gone. They should be returning in the next few hours. I know they intend to be here for the wedding. Perhaps their journey will have tired Gimli sufficiently to subdue his boisterous spirits a bit!"

There was a glint in Aragorn's eyes as he said the last, and after only a moment's pause, all three men broke into hearty laughter. Wiping at streaming eyes, Eothain observed, "I have never known Master Gimli to be so tired that he was less…boisterous!" The others hooted their agreement and they laughed for several moments more, sharing their favorite Gimli stories with great fondness for the stout little man.

At length, Eomer and Aragorn decided it would be best to return to the city and make themselves more available if needed. It was only a few hours until the wedding, and the preparations would only intensify the nearer it came. Each man retired to take his own measures in readying for the event. Eomer bathed and washed his hair, towelling it vigorously until it was mostly dry. Eowyn had already told him what she wanted him to wear, and made it clear she would brook no argument on the matter. He had felt obligated to fuss about her demands, but in truth he thought her choice was excellent. The color and cut of the clothes suited him very well, and though he particularly wished to look acceptable for Eowyn, he also wanted to catch the eye of a certain other lady.

He was dressed with nearly a half an hour to spare, and paced his room for a time. As the presiding king, and the one conducting the ceremony, likely Aragorn had a great deal more he was required to do at present, so visiting him to kill time didn't seem a viable option. Finally, Eomer headed out to one of the gardens. At least out of doors, Eomer did not feel so restless. He found a good view from the wall, looking down upon the city and the Pelennor.

Both places were alive with activity. Celebrations had already begun lower in the city. Not all could actually attend the wedding itself, or the festivities in the Hall of Feasts, so they had not waited for the marriage to take place before beginning their revelry. Much of the encampment on the Pelennor was Eomer's guard, and soldiers accompanying them to protect the wedding guests. A stream of small carriages were still winding their way from the camp and up through the streets to the higher level; late-comers, no doubt, hurrying not to be shut out.

A slight sound caught Eomer's attention, and he turned, breaking into a grin as he spotted Lothiriel. She had taken only a step or two into the garden when she apparently noticed him, but her expression was not the warm, welcoming one he had come to expect. She stared stonily at him briefly, then wheeled and hurried away before he could register what was happening. For several moments, he stood there simply staring at the spot where she had been, unable to fathom what had just taken place. Her look had been one of cold anger…no, not anger. At first, he could not place her expression, but finally he identified it as 'disappointment'. What had he done? She had welcomed his kisses, even encouraged them. Surely she could not be reproachful on that subject, but clearly something had distressed her, and he had no doubt that it was in some way connected to him.

His good mood was utterly gone, just when he needed it most, for a page was now before him advising it was time to begin. Forcing his frantic thoughts to the back of his mind, he focused his attention on the marriage of his sister and her happiness. He would not let this unpleasantness disrupt Eowyn's day. His sister was too astute, and even in her daze of joy, he felt certain she would notice if his manner was not as it should be.

The sight of Eowyn improved his mood sufficiently for him to conceal his inner turmoil more easily. She was beautiful. He had always thought so, but at this moment it had never been more evident. He felt certain Faramir was marrying her for far more substantial reasons, but likely the man would not object at all to what his eyes were about to behold! Flashing her a grin that brought a blush to her cheeks, he offered his arm and led her toward the main hall.

There was no missing the audible gasp when they appeared at the entrance, and he smiled with pleasure on his sister's behalf. As he had expected, Faramir's eyes had gone wide, and he appeared to be in a state of shock. Imrahil was standing beside him, and gave his nephew a nudge to draw him out of his stunned stare.

Even Aragorn was beaming approvingly, but with amusement, as the couple moved into place before him. Once Eomer's part in the ceremony was concluded, his mind wandered back to Lothiriel. He did not want to obviously be looking around, and she was not conveniently located to his gaze, but his mind continued to race in an effort to discover anything at all he might have said or done to give offense. Despite his efforts, though, nothing came to mind. She had kissed him as willingly as he had kissed her; surely she could not be upset about that, but then what?

Faramir sweeping his bride into a very unchaste kiss caused the hall to erupt in laughter and cheers, and jarred Eomer back to his surroundings. Now he did sneak a glance at Lothiriel, but she was studiously avoiding his gaze, and the smile on her face did not reach her eyes.

Almost as many people wanted to congratulate him as his sister and her husband, so he was trapped in an endless stream of hand clasping and back thumping. Lothiriel had quickly disappeared, and it wasn't until they went into supper that he spotted her again. Amrothos was sitting next to her for the meal, and from his position at the head table, Eomer caught him glancing at his sister in puzzlement. At one point, Eomer noted he leaned in to ask her something, but her expression seemed to clearly indicate her refusal to reveal what was on her mind. It was evident that Amrothos was not pleased by that, but he left her alone as she wished. For a brief moment, Amrothos' gaze fell speculatively on Eomer, and his eyes narrowed suspiciously, but Eomer pretended not to notice. To the best of his knowledge, he had done nothing wrong, and therefore had no reason to feel guilty. Even so, he did not like to think of Lothiriel being in distress, and it somehow being associated with him. Somehow, someway, he intended to get to the bottom of this.

It wasn't going to be tonight, however. Shortly after the meal concluded and the dancing began, he saw her holding a conversation with her father, and then depart the hall. It took some time to reach Imrahil, and make an effort to casually inquire about Lothiriel. Her father indicated she had developed a headache and retired early, and Eomer barely hid his sigh of frustration.

xx

It took two days to corner her. Apparently she had anticipated his attempting to approach her, and was determined not to allow it, but she had not counted on his own determination in the matter. He was a skilled warrior, and forcing the enemy to engage him in battle was second nature. He used those skills now to shadow Lothiriel until he was able to get her alone.

He had found that she had taken to spending time in the library of the Steward's house, probably to avoid being seen and to have a sufficient reason for her absence. It had not taken much effort to follow her there without being spotted, and once she was inside, slip in behind her. He suspected that, given half a chance, she would leave at the sight of him, and he made certain not to give her that option by carefully keeping himself between her and the door.

"Lothiriel…" She jumped at the sound of his voice and wheeled to face him, her eyes searching for escape that was not to be found. "Lothiriel, we must speak."

"I prefer not to, my lord. Now please step aside so I may leave," she told him firmly, avoiding his gaze.

She made a move to go around him to the right, but he countered it with a move of his own, and she skidded to a halt. "Whether you prefer it or not, we must speak," he insisted. "I know that you are upset, but I do not know why."

She made a move to his left, but he blocked her again. "Let me leave!" she demanded, though there was an agitated wail to it that almost undid him.

"Lothiriel, tell me what is wrong! What have I done, or not done?" he demanded urgently, desperate to know the problem so he could repair it.

Seeming to realize he would not let her depart without giving an answer, she swallowed hard, struggling to hold onto her composure. "I…I am sorry if my behavior led you to think I was more receptive to your advances than I truly am," she told him, carefully choosing her words. "But I am not a woman to be dallied with, regardless of what you or your men may believe. And, now, I will thank you to excuse me, and trouble me no further."

Despite her words, she still seemed to realize he was blocking her exit from the room, and did not appear brave enough to attempt brazening her way past him. Instead, she folded her arms and sought to fix him with a determined gaze, hoping it would cause him to yield.

Unfazed, Eomer stood staring at her incredulously, his mind racing as he tried to piece together her words and make sense of them. "Why…why on earth would you think that I wished to dally with you?" he asked slowly. That seemed to be her material point, so it should be addressed first.

Her gaze flicked away as she reluctantly answered, in a soft voice, "I heard your men speaking, when they were unaware I was near. They made it very plain that you could…bed…any woman of your choosing, and that for the moment your choice was me. They felt assured of your success in the matter. They are mistaken!" The last was said defiantly, and she lifted her chin proudly, though she could not stop the quiver in it as she struggled to hold back her tears.

Eomer merely stared at her, thunderstruck by this accusation. He had no idea what she might have heard his soldiers discussing, but clearly she had misinterpreted it, or they had misunderstood his intent and thus misrepresented him. He turned away from her, raking a hand through his hair. He could hardly blame her for her anger and distress, but how to right things and prove it was all a misunderstanding.

A thought came to him and he turned back to her, grabbing her wrist and saying tersely, "Come with me!" For an instant, she balked, her eyes wide with alarm at his behavior, but then he realized his abruptness was not helping matters, and gently amended, "Please, there are things you need to know, but we must go elsewhere for you to learn them."

Her expression was still guarded, but she slowly began to follow him, and he dropped his hand from her wrist, offering his arm instead. Once they reached the courtyard, he stopped, staring around in frustration. At last he asked her, "Do you ride? Or are there carriages to be had? We are going down to the Rohirrim camp and it is too far for you to walk."

Her eyebrows quirked in confusion at this announcement, but after a moment, she said, "We should be able to borrow a carriage on the sixth level. The stables keep a couple of small ones for the royal couple. I am sure the queen will not object to your borrowing one."

The carriage was obtained, and they rode in uncomfortable silence down through the levels of the city. Eomer's mind was focused on his plan, and his desperate hope that it would successfully convince her of his honorable intent. For Lothiriel's part, she stared out the window, but she was extremely aware of the man sitting across from her, and kept sneaking glances at him from the corner of her eye. He never spoke to her on the entire trip; indeed, he barely moved in his seat until they arrived at the camp.

Helping her out, he again offered her his arm, striking off quickly for a tent he seemed readily able to pick out of the mass. He was moving so quickly, that she had difficulty keeping up, and stumbled a few times on the rough ground. Only then did he notice, and slow his pace to accommodate her, though he clearly was in a hurry to get wherever it was they were going.

Knowing better than to enter a man's tent unannounced, especially with a lady on his arm, Eomer called out from the flap. "Eothain, it is me and Lady Lothiriel. May we enter?"

A startled voice replied, "Of course, my lord!"

When they stepped inside, Eothain was standing by the small chair and table where he was working, eyeing them in puzzlement. "Eomer King. Lady Lothiriel. It is an honor." He gave a short bow, awaiting an explanation.

Eomer got straight to the point, without bothering with the pleasantries. "The day before we arrived at Mundburg, we camped just outside the Rammas Echor, did we not?" At Eothain's nod of agreement, Eomer continued, "You came to my tent that night and we conducted matters of business. Then I asked you a question. Do you remember what it was?"

Again Eothain nodded, clearly confused about this line of questioning. "Yes, my lord, you asked" – he glanced at Lothiriel with a bit of embarrassment, but obviously Eomer wanted their conversation known to her for some reason – "you asked what I thought of Lady Lothiriel."

Lothiriel's eyebrow rose at this, but she made no comment, waiting for the soldier to continue. Giving a small sigh, Eothain elaborated, "I told you that she was a beautiful woman, and everything one would expect in the daughter of a Prince."

"Then what?" Eomer demanded, when Eothain seemed ready to conclude.

"Then…then you asked if I thought she would make a good queen of Rohan. You indicated you were attracted to the lady, and meant on this visit to become better acquainted, with a view to a possible courtship and marriage."

Eomer's attention now turned to Lothiriel who was staring wide-eyed at Eothain. While it was not explicitly instructed, Eothain suspected it would be a good idea to find something in the camp to occupy his time for a while. "Please excuse me," he said with another short bow, hastening out of the tent.

The silence was stretching to the breaking point as Eomer tried to form the words to speak. "Lothiriel, regardless of what you heard someone say about me, even my own men, I am telling you now, myself, that my intentions toward you are perfectly honorable. I would welcome you in my bed, I do not deny it, but only if you are my wife. I came to Mundburg to see my sister married, it is true, but I have also come seeking a bride of my own. I wanted to get you alone and speak with you on the matter, but the 'sour stomach' you witnessed reflected my failure to accomplish it, and my disgruntlement at seeing you so willingly in the company of other men. Then the kiss…just happened, and you encouraged me, and I foolishly set aside conversation in order to enjoy your company. I thought there would be plenty of time to talk, and that your kisses meant you felt similarly. I do not know how things have gone so horribly awry, but I am persuaded that I love you. And if you can forgive me, perhaps you would still consider me as a husband."

It was too much, and Lothiriel erupted in a gasping sob, her tears flowing freely as she flung herself into Eomer's arms. He wasn't sure whether to be alarmed or pleased, but it did seem a hopeful development. Wrapping her in his arms, he held her until her emotion subsided sufficiently for her to speak. Turning a tear-stained face up to him, she whispered, "I am so very sorry, Eomer, for accusing you of such bad character. I did not want to believe it, but as it was men of Rohan, I thought perhaps they knew something I did not, knew you better than I fancied that I did." She dropped her gaze in embarrassment, but he reached and tilted her chin up so she was looking at him.

"No, do not apologize. You could not have known. We truly have had so little time together that you could not know for certain what manner of man that I am. You were wise to be wary, for there are many smooth men who would abuse a woman as you feared, but I promise you, I am not one of them. I will gladly receive your kisses, and even beg to receive more, but I will not expect anything further of you, nor would I take it if you offered. I would not have there be anything to taint our joining, nor would I betray your trust, or that of your family."

Under the circumstances, he was hesitant to kiss her, as he was inclined to do just then, but she saved him the trouble, reaching to pull him to her. When at last they parted, she smiled warmly into his eyes, allowing her hand to come up and caress his cheek. "You are truly the best man I have ever known," she murmured lovingly, and then added with a smile, "and I will gladly be your wife."

His embrace of her was so tight that she almost could not breathe, At length, she heard him chuckle. "Excellent! Now I may speak to your annoying family members of my intentions, and not have to suffer their hints and warnings regarding you!" Smiling down into her eyes, he told her sincerely, "I am sorry for the pain I have caused you. You have ever been a bright spot in my life, and I never wished to be anything other than that in yours as well."

"It was not your doing, Eomer. The fault is entirely mine. I should not have listened to such things, nor believed them. I should have trusted you, trusted you were the man I had come to know." She laid her head against his chest, and sighed in contentment. "I believe I loved you when first we met, and the longer I knew you the deeper the feeling went. I scarcely dared hope I would ever find favor with you, and yet here you are, holding me."

"I was never indifferent to you, my love, but I thought I had too much else that needed doing first before I could consider my own happiness. Now I am persuaded that my personal happiness will make it easier to accomplish the things that need doing. And you are my happiness, beloved."

He gave a sigh, content to stand there holding her forever, but suddenly he became aware they were still in the middle of Eothain's tent – well, his tent actually, but Eothain had the use of it while they were at Minas Tirith. Come to think of it, they had a carriage waiting outside, and nothing planned for the afternoon. With a grin, he pulled away from her and offered his arm. "Would my lady care to join me for a carriage ride? It is a fine day."

She laughed at his behavior, but readily took his arm, and they strolled back to the waiting carriage. Just as he was handing her up into the seat, Eothain appeared, smirking and toting a bag. Holding it out to Eomer, he said, "In case you become hungry before you reach the city gates." Eomer chuckled as he took it, giving his captain a nod of thanks.

If they kept inside the Rammas Echor, they should be safe enough and not require an escort, so Eomer directed the driver to head off down a lane leading to a small grove of trees. This was what he had longed for ever since the War ended – the sun on his face and the woman he loved snuggled into his shoulder.

Reaching the tree line, they climbed out and the driver went to tether the horses nearby, after Eomer shared out some of the contents of the food bag with him. For a while, Eomer and Lothiriel strolled among the trees, at last having the opportunity to talk in person rather than through letters. They were so lost in one another, they did not notice that the breeze had stiffened and cooled. The sun was now behind an angry-looking expanse of gray clouds, and a moment later, the skies opened up. Laughing, they dashed for the shelter of the nearest tree.

It did not appear that the rain would end any time soon, and Eomer was considering their options, when suddenly Lothiriel pulled from his side and dashed out into the downpour. Twirling in a circle, she turned her face up to the rain and laughed joyously. He was momentarily stunned by her actions, but all of a sudden, he bolted out to join her. Catching her hands, they twirled in a circle at arm's length, laughing gaily. From a distance, the driver stood staring at them as though they had taken leave of their senses, and that caused them to laugh all the more when they saw it.

Catching her to him, Eomer whispered, "And what does the sky weep for now, my love?"

"Silly king! It weeps for us, for our joy. Do you not recognize tears of happiness?" And then she kissed him and the rain was forgotten.

THE END

1/27/08 – 2/9/08