A Winter Lady For A King.
Chapter XII: Searching For A Light.
Even though the previous day had been exhausting, Éomer woke up as the first rays of sunlight rose in the sky. His queen was still sleeping peacefully beside him and, looking at her, memorizing every soft trace of her face, he saw her frailty only became more evident in that state of unconsciousness. Lightly kissing her bare shoulder, he got up from bed and walked to the nearest window, taking a moment to admire the beautiful reflections of weak sunlight on the snow that covered the entire valley. Even though spring was his favourite season of the year, he had to admit the beauty of the sight before him. Turning around to look at Eihhlin, who was just covered with a thin sheet, Éomer realized she was the winter itself, so there was no cold landscape more beautiful than her.
After getting dressed, Éomer decided to put a blanket over her body so she wouldn't get cold. Then, glancing at her one last time, he left the room to face another ordinary day of royal duties. As he walked to his study, he wondered if his days would be the same as before, considering Eihhlin seemed to be determined in ignoring him, or if they would be everything but normal just because she had entered his life forever.
The king finally reached his destination and, opening the door, he entered the room and sat down at his desk, where several papers concerning several matters of the kingdom were waiting for him. But he couldn't concentrate on his work; Eihhlin was still the only thought on his mind and he wondered what hers would be when she woke up. Sighing, Éomer shook his head in defeat.
-It certainly won't be me. –he mumbled to himself. Then, knowing he wouldn't be able to work before he had seen her, he decided to go outside for a walk, something he often found himself doing lately. There was a new life and unknown challenges he would have to face from now on and the king had no idea of what to do with that task.
Slowly opening her eyes, Eihhlin realized the sun had already risen and that her husband was no longer in the room. The events of the previous night immediately came back to her, but she tried to block them out of her mind. It hadn't killed her, so she would just face her new role as a queen as naturally as she could. Getting up from the bed, she felt the cold that emanated from the stone walls embracing her body, so she walked to her chest and picked one of her many new dresses and a pair of shoes. After getting dressed, the queen softly combed her hair and braided it, then washed her face with cold water.
Eihhlin exited the room and, as she walked through the corridors, she saw servants going from one place to the other and working, but they all looked at her with a mixture of curiosity and amazement on their faces as she walked by. Deciding she wouldn't waste her time wondering why they stared at her in such way, the queen finally reached the dining hall, where her husband was sitting at the head of the table. Éomer immediately looked at her and his eyes seemed to contain a new bright light as he noticed she was wearing one of the dresses he had had made for her. Although she didn't want to be near him after the previous night, Eihhlin hesitantly entered the room and walked to Éomer until she was right beside his chair.
-Good morning, my lord. –she said politely as her face was the usual mask of ice.
-Good morning, my queen. –he replied, once again studying her delicate features. Then, as if waking up from a dream, he realized she hadn't moved from where she was standing. –Is something wrong?
-No, nothing, my lord. –Eihhlin answered, but, as she saw a mirror of slight confusion on his face, it became clear to her that she had to explain part of the education given to her as a child. –In my country, women are not allowed to sit as the lord of the house's table without his permission. –she continued and, for a moment, Éomer thought his ears were deceiving him. Was the queen of Rohan waiting for permission to sit at the table in her own house? He silently cursed Idrios for treating Eihhlin like a minor being for all those years. But those days were over and he wouldn't allow his queen to feel like a mere servant. Standing up from his seat, he pulled out the chair on his right and gestured for her to sit down. Eihhlin was surprised by this and hesitantly took her place at the table. Éomer sat down on his chair again and took her hand in his, looking deep into her eyes.
-No matter how much you dislike it, you're not the princess of Vathinia anymore; you are the queen of Rohan and you don't have to ask permission to do whatever you want in your house. You're my wife, Eihhlin, not my servant. –he said firmly and she simply looked down at her plate, withdrawing her hand. –Do you understand?
-Yes, my lord. –she answered. Then, a maid entered the room to bring more food and the same look as the others was obvious on her face as she glanced at the queen. –Why does everyone look at me in that strange way? –she asked after the maid had left.
-Well, most of them had never seen that colour of hair before. It's unusual, almost non existent in these lands. –Éomer answered, remembering how her hair cascaded down her shoulders when she was covered in moonlight the previous night. –And, besides, it's impossible not to look at you. You're… very beautiful, Eihhlin. –he continued before he could think and Eihhlin looked down at her plate again, apparently wordless. Compliments weren't something she was used to.
After finishing the first meal of the day, they stood up from their seats and Eihhlin was about to leave the room when Éomer suddenly remembered something.
-Wait. –he said and she turned around to look at him. –There's something I want to give you.
-What is it? –Eihhlin asked, raising an eyebrow.
-Come. I'll show you. –he answered, glad that she was curious about the surprise, and offered his hand for her to take. She simply looked at him, not interested in touching him. A thin veil of sadness immediately covered the king's face as his beloved wife's rejection was, once again, obvious. Trying his best not to show it had deeply affected him, Éomer simply walked out of the room with Eihhlin following right behind.
The king led her to the stables, in where he could see she was not comfortable. She walked slowly behind him, clearly not familiar with the place, and Éomer wondered what was going on in her mind at that moment. Finally, he stopped in front of a beautiful black mare and Eihhlin stood a few feet away, not wanting to get close to the animal.
-Why are we here, my lord? –she asked, not taking her eyes off the mare.
-She's yours. –Éomer answered with a smile. –Consider it a late wedding gift.
-What do I want a horse for? –was her next question and his smile slowly faded as he realized she hadn't liked the present.
-You don't like it. –he stated, frowning. Of course he knew that, even if she was now the queen of the land of the horse lords, she didn't have to like horses, but he was starting to think something else. Éomer felt his wife was, consciously or unconsciously, testing his patience and, even though he considered himself a very patient man, it wouldn't last forever.
-No, I don't. I don't even know how to ride a horse, my lord. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go. –Eihhlin answered and quickly left the stable as Éomer tried to control his fury.
As she went back to hers and Éomer's bedroom, Eihhlin thought about what had just happened and she asked herself if her husband would try to force Rohan's culture and way of life on her. Why would he give her a horse if it wasn't to make her belong to his people? The idea of being a queen of a country known by its horses without knowing how to ride a horse seemed a bit pathetic to her, but it didn't change her mind about the subject. She hadn't asked to marry Éomer and she hadn't done it on her free will. She just wished to be away from him and back in Vathinia, taking care of her brothers and living her normal, uninteresting life. But she knew it wouldn't happen. She now had a new home, a new family and a new winter, which she would never consider hers. Eihhlin knew she wouldn't see Vathinia's snow melting to allow spring flowers to bloom on its valleys; she knew she wouldn't see the ice that covered the lake breaking into liquid water to be the new home of ducks and swans. She knew she would have to witness all those dying moments in Rohan. But that winter in the land of the best horses of Middle Earth would never be hers.