Chapter 11
Edoras, 1st January, 3020
Once again, Lothíriel woke up late. But this time, she didn't rush out of the bed: in fact, everybody had assured her that after the celebrations, the whole Edoras would be moving slower. Probably because of that, Éomer had deemed it wise to cancel any Council activity as well, leaving her with the prospect of an unexpected but much welcomed day free of any duties.
She lay a bit longer, relishing in the warmth of her bed and sinking deeper under the thick blanket.
Her first Yule in Rohan had been something she would surely never forget. Something that couldn't have been more different from the celebrations in Minas Tirith but that in a way, had reminded her of Dol Amroth before the war: of the evenings spent with her family and their closest friends in the hall of her father's palace, of that sense of familiarity, of the shared laughs, of the awareness that for once they -which rather meant her and Amrothos- wouldn't have to watch too carefully for etiquette and formalities. Those were golden memories of carefree days that had soon found their end: once war had come upon them, there had rarely been an occasion to have the whole family reunited. Sometimes her father had to ride to Minas Tirith, sometimes it was Elphir, Erchirion and Amrothos would often be at sea and with the roads getting more dangerous, even her aunt hadn't been able to visit them as often as she used to. Over the past few years, she had sometimes spent Yule in Minas Tirith. And while she had always loved the White City's colourful and sophisticated celebrations, when it came to Yule she couldn't help but finding them cold and unfamiliar.
For her, there had been a Yule before the war -a cheerful, merry event to share with family and friends-, and a Yule during the war.
Childhood's memories can be a traitorous, precious thing, filling your heart with the longing for blithe days that will never return: days when age hadn't started to weight over your father's shoulders, when his face had been smoother and there hadn't been any grey in his hair, days when you were able to look at the future with excited curiosity and never with dreary foreboding. The more she grew up, the more all those infinite opportunities that had seemed to pave the road in front of herself had reduced, for she was a woman, a Princess and a Gondorian. No matter her famed enthusiasm, as Gamling called it, the more she grew up, the more reality fell upon her, the less carefree she felt. And she could safely say that her stay in Rohan, no matter how short, had already confronted her with a reality that was way harsher than the one she was used to. It had started with those gloomy, empty villages along the Great West Road and it had continued with the sight of the refugees crowding the Hornburg, filling the caves, until the ambush on the way to Edoras.
And yet, the day before had been such a joyful occasion. The specific setting that the circumstances had demanded, with a buffet instead of a proper dinner being served at the tables, had probably contributed at making the whole event more informal than usual, even in Rohirric standard. All she knew was that she had found herself being swirled around by probably at least half of the riders in Éomer's guards, laughing breathlessly and forgetting for a few hours that there was a world full of problems waiting for them outside of Meduseld's doors.
Her eyes fell upon the gown she had been wearing. When she had picked it up, she had been pleasantly surprised: when she had commissioned the gowns, she had thought more of practicality than anything else and hadn't requested anything fancy. As such, she had been expecting something plain but warm. Instead, the seamstress had presented her with three new gowns that were at once warm but also very pretty. The one she had worn for the celebration was particularly beautiful and she had immediately loved the contrast of colours given by the sleeves. To honour the local tradition, she had wanted to wear her hair free, like most of the women seemed to prefer in Rohan, but she had also wanted to try out those new hairpins. So, she had asked Andes to do something in between and had not been disappointed. The bracelet that Éomer had given her, had perfectly completed her outfit.
She sighed deeply and hid her face in the pillow as she thought of it, for the day before had also been one of the most embarrassing of her whole life. In Gondor, it would have been considered very inappropriate to exchange gifts with people who weren't family members. She had thought the same would apply in Rohan, and had understood her mistake when it had been too late to remedy.
Lothíriel took the bracelet from the nightstand where she had put it the night before and looked at it. As Éomer had said, it was a small gift, but she could not prevent a big smile from spreading on her face as she looked at it. It wasn't something she would be able to wear in Gondor, but she liked it. A lot. And so I shall make sure of wearing it as much as possible until I am still in Rohan.
She had understood what he had meant, when he had said that he wanted to thank her for her help. And she was relieved by the fact that Éomer had seemed to have drastically improved. During their ride from the Hornburg, she had been afraid that he would have resumed to his bad temperament once they would have reached Edoras but instead, he had been in a lighter mood. And the effects could already be seen across Meduseld: it was as if the whole household had sighed in relief. But at the same time, she was also very well aware that these were special days of festivities, and she feared that Éomer might not find it that easy to keep his spirits high once routine rolled back in.
She thought of her dance with him, of the way they had jested with each other, of how he had lifted her off the ground and held her to his warm body, of how little Holdred had saved her from further embarrassment. Éomer might be a warrior and might often hide himself behind a stern and gruff mask, but he was more than that. So much more.
She groaned loudly in the pillow and at that moment, Andes entered the room: "My Lady, is everything ok?".
She rolled and slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes: "Yes, Andes. How are you this morning? Did you have fun yesterday?".
"Yes, my Lady, very much so".
Sure. The evening before, in the new gown that she had commissioned for her, Andes had looked lovely. However, it was quite clear that she hadn't been enjoying herself: she had seen several riders asking her to dance, but she had turned them all down, keeping herself constantly apart. I suppose she misses her betrothed more than she had expected.
When Lothíriel entered the Great Hall, she realized that she was one of the few already up. As predictable, Birthwyn was there as well, eating some cheese at the table: "Princess, you are up early!".
The old housekeeper smiled at her and Lothíriel took a seat next to her: "I'd say it's the others who will be late". Birthwyn smiled and nodded, passing her some of the cheese.
"Birthwyn, do you know when will the next courier for Minas Tirith leave?", she inquired. Now that she was more aware of Rohan's condition and potential offer, she wanted to write back to some of the merchants she had already spoken to, before the snow would make communications harder.
"Aye, my Lady. Bregdan shall depart tomorrow. You should tell that maid of yours: today is the day to write her letters!". The old woman was smiling, but Lothíriel thought she sounded ever so slightly annoyed.
"Has Andes given you any trouble while I was away, Birthwyn?".
"No, my Lady. The morning you left she approached me, asking if a courier was to leave to Minas Tirith while you were at the Hornburg".
"Oh my, I forgot to tell her! I had promised her that she could have sent a letter to her betrothed with every courier, but it slipped my mind!".
"Yes, my Lady, I remember your enthusiasm that morning!". Lothíriel blushed but Birthwyn gave her an affectionate smile before continuing: "As I was saying, she approached me as soon as you were out, and I told her that a courier would have left either on the morrow or the day after, and she has been adamant that she needed to know precisely, so that she could write as much as possible in her letter about her first days in Edoras. Youth!".
They both shared a laugh and a few more maids joined them at the table. Only a few of them spoke the common language and Lothíriel had had the impression that at the beginning many of them had felt intimidated by her or, most probably, her rank. But they were quickly getting used to her presence and warming up to her, and Lothíriel enjoyed the breakfast, chatting and laughing with them. Gilraen would have a fit if she could see me, having a meal with the servants!
She grinned and found Birthwyn staring intently at her: "Birthwyn, are the shops open?".
"Didn't you have enough shopping, yesterday? Those poor guards of yours were loaded as mules!".
The whole table giggled and a soft laughed escaped Lothíriel as well before she explained herself: "I have received a few Yule's gifts yesterday but I had nothing to give back, because in Gondor we only give gifts to family members. I wanted to remedy and visit some leather crafting shop, since I have a few hours free". Yes, indeed the day before, after she had left Éomer's study, more embarrassment had assaulted her, first in the form of Gamling's Yule's gift, then in the form of Heruwyn's one. No matter how profusely she had apologized, no matter how much they had not seemed to care, she still wanted to return their kindness.
Birthwyn eyes drifted to the bracelet on her wrist: "Aye, I see you like such things, my Lady. But I'm sorry to disappoint you: shops will be closed today. As you noticed: Edoras is still sleeping". Lothíriel puffed her cheeks, earning some more giggles from the maids.
"My Lady, would you like to join us for a short ride later?", asked one of the younger maids, a small girl with a sweet heart shaped face, probably only a couple of years younger than herself.
"What Holdwyn means, my Lady, is that it is tradition on this day for the citizens of Edoras to go for a short ride along the course of the Snowbourn", Birthwyn explained.
"Oh, I'd love that, Holdwyn! Thank you for inviting me!". The young girl blushed deeply and gave her a shy, happy smile.
Lothíriel left the Hall shortly afterwards. Since she still had a few hours until the ride, she decided to go through some records she had asked Éomer for. He had told her that he would have left them in the library, so she quietly walked towards it. But as it still happened sometimes, she took a wrong turn and instead ended up in the wrong wing of Meduseld, the one hosting the Royal chambers.
Birthwyn had given her a quick tour during her first day in Edoras, but the place still felt a bit like a labyrinth to her. Remembering what the housekeeper had told her, she recognized the door to the King's chamber and wondered if Éomer was still inside, sleeping, if he was still having nightmares. She hoped not, she hoped he would be able to catch some good sleep in the weeks to come, to help him dealing with his daily duties in a more serene way.
As she made for turning to head back and find the library, the door opened.
Ah.
Lothíriel unconsciously clenched her fists. Aefre sinuously slipped out of the room, perfectly silent, closing the door with great care. As such, she didn't notice her at first. When the door finally closed and she could release the handle, she turned and stopped dead upon seeing her. They looked at each other only for a short moment, because soon Aefre gave her a small, satisfied smile. She bowed respectfully her head and spoke in a whisper: "Good morning, my Lady. You seem lost. May I be of help, perhaps?".
What an insufferable, spiteful, beautiful, tall woman!
"A good morning to you, Aefre. No, but I thank you for asking. I merely took a wrong turn, that's all. I know my way, now". Lothíriel turned and walked away, forcing herself to move slow. She could feel Aefre's glare on her back. Running away would not do.
When she finally found the library, she shut the door behind her and heavily fell on a big armchair by the window. Silly girl, what were you thinking?
Actually, she didn't know. But she had enjoyed Éomer's company over the last few days: when he wasn't too busy scowling around, he was the wise, caring, humorous man that her father and brothers held in such great esteem. She thought again of their dance on the night before, the way he had teased her, the way he had looked at her as his arm had slipped around her waist, the way his laughter had rumbled in his chest as he had firmly held her. It was just a dance. Nothing more than what had meant for me to dance with young Holdred. That's all.
Determined, she stood up and moved to the desk. I have a job to do, that's what I am here for!
A few hours later, she was retrieved from her reading by a knock on the door. Birthwyn entered the library carrying a tray: "My Lady, I thought you might want to eat something before the ride".
"Thank you, Birthwyn. How much time do I still have?".
The housekeeper placed the tray on the desk: "Enough for eating something and changing clothes. Holdwyn will meet you in the Great Hall with Herubrand and Walda".
"Excellent! Thank you, Birthwyn!".
Lothíriel quickly ate her lunch and hurried down to her room, where Andes helped her changing into her new riding outfit. It was similar to the one Heruwyn had lent her, but the skirt was higher on the waist and it fitted in general tighter, hugging perfectly her figure. Also, it was in a deep blue, the closest to the Dol Amroth's one that the seamstress had managed to find. It was one fine outfit and Lothíriel looked satisfied at the mirror.
All the while, Andes chatted restlessly, inquiring whether she had started some new negotiations and if she thought that Rohan would manage good, coming spring. While she had always considered Andes to be a smart girl, she had never thought her interested in such topics. Sure enough, she had never asked about it before. Lothíriel considered that her handmaid must have been very bored. She was always busy for the whole day here in Rohan, and given how less formal the society was when compared to Gondor, she had rarely requested her help for more than assisting her bathing, wearing a simple gown or arranging her hair in an easy way.
She satisfied her curiosity as much as she could, given that as Ambassador she was committed not to freely disclose about her job. Andes showed great interest, asking one question after the other, and Lothíriel thought that she would make a great wife to her betrothed: "Andes, before it slips my mind again: the courier to Minas Tirith will leave tomorrow, so you might want to finalize those love letters of yours!", she said grinning. But Andes immediately stiffened, lowering her eyes: "Come, Andes, I was merely jesting. I have indeed spent the whole afternoon writing letters myself. I have already given them to Birthwyn but she will wait for yours before passing them to Bregdan. Just try not to wait till the last moment, ok?".
"Yes, my Lady. And thank you!".
As Birthwyn had told her, she found Herubrand and Walda waiting for her in the Hall, together with Holdwyn and a flock of other young maids. This is going to be funny. The girls were clearly in awe with the younger rider and Walda was dispensing smiles here and there. Those dimples would be the end of any woman.
Only Holdwyn stood apart, looking clearly embarrassed at the scene in front of her eyes.
"Shall we, my Lady? The horses have already been saddled", Herubrand said, with a smirk on his face.
"Perfect! Let's go then!".
The group merrily descended the stairs and reached the stables. Lothíriel was happy to see that Éobold had saddled Sparkler for her. She loved her mare dearly, but Sparkler simply seemed a much safer mount in this surrounding. She made sure of bringing Bethril a treat, before finally mounting and following the rest of the group outside Edoras.
As they had told her, it seemed that the whole city was strolling along the river. There were riders on their huge war stallions, women mounting no less impressive horses, couples sharing the saddle, children proudly sitting on their small ponies. There were also a few people simply walking along the river, and the atmosphere was joyous and relaxed. She spotted Gamling, Éothain and Heruwyn, not far from them. What in the Valar's name is the woman doing on a horse? She cringed, staring at her, and her thoughts must have been plain on her face.
"It is normal for women of the Mark to ride until the very end of the pregnancy, my Lady. I take it the custom is different in Gondor?", Herubrand asked.
"Different? Normally women in the last trimester barely leave their houses! I have always thought it ridiculous, to be honest, but riding seems quite…extreme?".
Herubrand laughed heartily: "I assure you, it's completely safe. My own wife rode until the very last week! And as you have seen, Holdred does not seem to have suffered from it". He wicked at her and Lothíriel chuckled, thinking of the boy. Yes, he was definitely a healthy, strong boy.
Some cheers had her turning and she saw Éomer riding out of the North Gate, followed by some of his guards. He greeted his people and carelessly rode forward, seeming perfectly relaxed. And unfairly handsome.
She spotted Aefre as well, riding on a beautiful grey mare, halfway between them and Éomer. She immediately tightened the hold on her reins, waiting for the moment they would greet each other. But Éomer merely acknowledged her with a nod of his head, and rode further. Aefre's eyes followed him with a hard look and she seemed to stiffen in her saddle.
Lothíriel turned her head back to the front and soon their group was flanked by the King. He cheerfully greeted them and then his eyes rested on her. Afraid that her cheeks would betray her, she tried to think of something to say.
"I was very glad to find Sparkler saddled for me!". It wasn't the smartest thing to say, but at least it was true.
"I have asked Éobold to do so. Your mare is fine for a ride between Minas Tirith and Pelargir, but I would feel much safer knowing you on a Rohirric mount while in Rohan. Plus, he seems to have taken a like on you!". No chance she wouldn't flush red, now. She fixed her eyes on the horizon, hoping he wouldn't notice.
"Thank you, Éomer", she said, bringing an imaginary strand of hair behind her ear, trying to cover her embarrassment and cursing the way the events of the day before was making her feel so self-conscious in his presence.
"So, it has come to my attention that you have managed to feed an apple to Firefoot. I must say I have been surprised".
Lothíriel heard a strangled noise coming from Walda but didn't bother to turn: "You have been wrongly informed, Éomer. It was a carrot, not an apple. And I do not understand why all the fuss. He doesn't seem to be half the brute everybody claims".
"Just an appropriate mount, considering his master is an orc?". Éomer had a wide grin on his face and now Lothíriel felt her cheeks in flames. Herubrand and Walda roared in laughter, like they had done the day before in the stables, and she glared at them with a murderous look.
"Be at ease, Lothíriel, your guards have not betrayed you!". Éomer put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze, before heading forward, a rare smile still lingering on his face.
Once the mirth had extinguished and while Lothíriel was still intent at staring at her saddle, cursing her light complexion and trying to regain a normal colour, Holdwyn came up riding next to her and spoke in a low voice, leaning towards her: "It's a good thing looks can't kill, otherwise I swear Aefre would have already murdered you a dozen of times!".
Another maid, whose name she could not remember, came up on her other side: "Don't turn, my Lady, she hasn't stopped glaring yet. I bet she is still furious after what has happened yesterday!". Lothíriel arched an eyebrow, her curiosity now growing, and the woman continued: "I have it from reliable sources that she has presented the King with a Yule's gift, but the King has refused to accept it. Apparently, she was furious!".
Lothíriel frowned, touching the leather bracelet hidden under her sleeve: "But it is normal to exchange gifts between friends, so why would he refuse? Wouldn't it be rude of him?".
"My Lady, what do you know of Aefre?", asked the older maid, giving her a pointed look.
"Not much, I guess. I know her brother, Wídfara, for I have visited his shop yesterday. I have only crossed his sister a couple of times, that's all".
"She arrives in Meduseld late at night, and leaves at dawn, my Lady".
"Maegwen!", shrieked Holdwyn. Maegwen, that's the woman's name.
"What, Holdwyn? True, I might hold a grudge against the woman, but that doesn't change the facts".
"So, she is his mistress?", whispered Lothíriel.
Maegwen snorted: "I would respect her more if she was that. My Lady". And with that, she bowed her head and urged her horse forward. Lothíriel followed her with her eyes and a confused look on her face.
"Please forgive her, my Lady", Holdwyn put in. "Aefre and her aren't in good terms. But Aefre isn't as bad as she says, she is a good woman. She just…falls in love with men who wouldn't return her feelings".
The whole discussion had at this point left Lothíriel with more questions than answers, but she did not miss Holdwyn's bitter tone at the last statement.
"And what about you, Holdwyn? Is there a man too blind to return your feelings?".
The girl lowered her head and her eyes darted nervously around. She blushed deeply: "No, no, my Lady, there is nobody! Nobody at all!".
Lothíriel looked at her through narrowed eyes, but let the topic fall. For the moment, at least.
Author's notes: I only realized before posting this chapter, that it is all based on Lothíriel's POV. However, I thought it fitting for the moment and to have a few things placed in the plotline. Hope you enjoyed it!
AHealingRenaissance: yes, he is definitely behaving like an idiot. It's just that in my mind, it wouldn't have been realistic if he went from zero (meaning the grumpy one) to top (the noble man we know him to be) in just one day. In my mind, such things take a bit more time! Glad you liked the chapter, despite idiot-Éomer!
Catspector: Ah, thank you so much for your review. You have no idea how important it is, for it really helps keeping my motivation high! :) At this point of the story, I think Éomer has definitely realized how wrong his behaviour has been (not only with Aefre). And it's quite selfish that even though he is starting to suspect that Aefre might have feelings for him, he is willing to keep the affair going. But he is also being very clear with her, there are no false promises here, and yet she insists visiting him. Which I think should speak a bit of her character (of which we will at some point learn more…). Hope you liked this chapter as well!
