0o0o0o0o0
Beside me, Eowyn grimaced and twisted slightly. "My corset stays are digging into my side. What a ridiculous contraption."
"Preach," I murmured back dryly. My own was cutting off circulation to some pretty vital organs, but the gown wouldn't fit without it. "Maybe we can get Eomer to ban them."
We stood on the steps of Meduseld, Aragorn and Boromir just a few feet across from us. Gandalf, his white robes gleaming in the sun under a clear blue sky, stood at the top of the steps. Lords and Ladies from across Middle Earth stood around us, while the rest of the crowd lined the streets, cheering as Eomer made his way up to us. As the future King's only family, Eowyn carried the crown on a velvet pillow. It glinted in the sun.
Eomer cut a striking figure as he made his way to Meduseld. I'd never seen him in full armor, and I couldn't take my eyes off him; he was an already powerful man in all respects, and the armor made him look simultaneously regal and terrifying. With a serious frown and armored shoulders broad enough to carry the burden of Rohan, he looked more like a king in that moment than I'd ever seen him. He was a Titan of a man.
His eyes searched the crowd as he came around the corner, and they settled on mine where he found me waiting beside Eowyn; as I'd promised, I would be by his side. I winked at him.
Eomer knelt before Gandalf. "Eomer, son of Eomund. Will you now take the Oath of the Eorlingas?"
Eomer's powerful voice rang out across the silent crowd. "I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Duty of the King, and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend the people of Rohan. I swear fealty and service to the Eorlingas and the realm, to do and to let be, in need or in plenty, in peace or war, in living or dying, from this day henceforth, until death take me or the world end. So swear I, Eomer son of Eomund."
"Let all the Eorlingas hear this oath," Gandalf commanded. Eowyn stepped forward with the pillow, and Gandalf carefully took the crown and placed it on Eomer's head, saying, "Let this crown serve as a symbol of your responsibility to Rohan and the Duty of the King." Eomer rose to his feet and turned to the crowd. "Hail, Eomer King!"
As one, Edoras knelt to the King of Rohan.
"Rise, Eorlingas and honored guests," Eomer commanded, his voice carrying. "And hear my oath now to the King of Gondor and Arnor, as Eorl did swear to Cirion." He turned to Aragorn, who had stepped forward holding a Red Arrow. Eomer placed his hand upon it. "Hear now all peoples who bow not to the Shadow in the East, by the gift of the Lord of the Mundburg we will come to dwell in the land that he names Calenardhon, and therefore I vow in my own name and on behalf of the Éothéod of the North that between us and the Great People of the West there shall be friendship forever: their enemies shall be our enemies, their need shall be our need, and whatsoever evil, or threat, or assault may come upon them we will aid them to the utmost end of our strength. This vow shall descend to my heirs, all such as may come after me in our new land, and let them keep it in faith unbroken, lest the Shadow fall upon them and they become accursed."
Aragorn placed his hand upon the arrow and recited Cirion's Oath: "This oath shall stand in memory of the glory of the Land of the Star, and of the faith of Elendil the Faithful, in the keeping of those who sit upon the thrones of the West and of the One who is above all thrones forever." The two men clasped hands over the Red Arrow.
The crowd roared with applause, and Aragorn grinned at the new King, clasping his shoulder and saying something that was drowned out by the noise.
Eomer turned to the crowd, but his gaze caught mine, and he smiled at me. I grinned and winked, dipping in a respectful – if tongue in cheek – curtsy.
0o0o0o0o0
"Yo! Gandalf, wanna give us a light?" Rose called with a grin.
She and I were standing by the fireworks we'd created, trying to figure out how to light the fuses. Neither of us could get the flint to ignite the cords.
The fireworks weren't as impressive as what I'm sure the wizard had done at Bilbo's birthday party, but they were pretty cool for what they were: Rose had figured out how to color the sparks, and I'd figured out how to make them burst in the air at different times. We weren't exactly reinventing the wheel, but it was damn close, and both of us were ridiculously pleased with ourselves. Besides, he hadn't brought fireworks for the coronation; it seemed Gandalf the White wasn't the same partier he'd been as Gandalf the Grey.
The wizard was talking to Legolas and a very drunk Gimli, but turned and laughed at Rose's bellow, obediently aiming his staff at the fuses. I jumped when they suddenly ignited, and Rose and I hastily scampered away.
The rockets shot into the sky and exploded, the first round of sparks a brilliant green and gold in honor of Rohan; the second set blue and silver for Gondor. There was a great gasp and then loud round of laughter applause of appreciation from the startled, intoxicated partygoers.
Rose and I stared at the brilliant fireworks display in awe. "Dude. Pound it."
Neither of us took our gaze off the sky as I distractedly bumped her fist.
The music was loud and energetic, so we didn't realize we had company. "See? You can always find them by following the sound of explosions," came Boromir's dry voice.
We turned to see Boromir and Eomer watching us, and we both grinned up at them. "You two certainly look pleased with yourselves," Eomer commented, amused. He still wore the crown, but he'd changed out of his armor and now simply wore a burgundy velvet tunic. I couldn't help but be a little envious that he'd gotten comfortable; I was still wearing the corset.
"Explosives make us happy," I explained with a shrug, but I couldn't stop grinning at him.
"My wife in one sentence," Boromir commented dryly.
Eomer laughed, but turned to me and held out his hand. "Would you dance with me?"
I hesitated. "I don't know how to dance."
"She's from the town in Footloose," Rose joked, although I was the only one who laughed.
Eomer just smiled and grabbed my hand. "Come. Dance with me, Lady."
I laughed and looked at Rose as he dragged me away. "He's so bossy now that he has his new hat." Rose grinned and waved.
The Great Hall was packed, a band playing what sounded almost like an Irish Jig, and several tables were filled with food, kegs, and men playing drinking games. In the center of the floor, couples were dancing to the quick paced music, swinging each other around; it was joyful and uninhibited, completely different than the regal Gondorian waltzes in Dol Amroth. This was a Rohirrim party.
Eomer pulled me onto the dance floor and swung me into his arms, one hand settling on my waist and the other holding our hands out. He grinned and winked at me, and that was the only warning I had before he was whirling me enthusiastically around the dance floor in time with the music. He grinned down at me when I started laughing.
The music was too loud to talk, and we were going too fast anyway, so we just danced. He twirled me under his arm and caught me against his chest again in one smooth move, and then we were spinning around again, and I could only laugh breathlessly and beam up at him in pleasure, happier in that moment than I could ever remember being.
Finally, the song ended, and he pulled me off the dance floor, making a beeline for the kegs. "There should be a drink in your hand," he called over the music with a smile. One of the soldiers handed him two tankards of ale, and he passed one to me.
Thirsty and ready to celebrate after a long day, I tipped the tankard back and started downing it in long gulps. Eomer and the soldier raised their eyebrows at me as I finished it off and handed it back for a refill. "What, you think the Rohirrim are the only ones who know how to drink?" I asked, amused. "We still do a few things in America."
They laughed and I accepted the new tankard. "I heard the presentation went well," Eomer said. "Aragorn told me he has commissioned one for his personal use."
"He did. I noticed you weren't there," I added.
He shook his head. "There were bureaucratic issues to take care of. I'm sorry I missed it."
"Well, lucky for you, you have one of your very own," I told him with a wink. "Would you like to see it?" He raised his eyebrows, but gestured for me to lead the way.
There were several people in the back garden, but it was the darkest place I could find short of taking it into the valley, and they were basically ignoring us, anyway. The telescope sat near the fence, a stool placed before the eyepiece. Eomer raised his eyebrows. "I didn't expect it to be so large."
I shrugged. "The ones used for your military is small enough to fit in your hand, but this one is seeing distances greater than a few mere miles. Uh... Leagues," I explained.
"How does it work?"
I laughed as he sat down. "I doubt you want me to get into the technical details, but suffice it to say that it works sort of like my glasses, but with mirrors. Now, look into the eyepiece."
He leaned forward and closed one eye, and suddenly went very still. He almost stopped breathing.
"It's called a nebula," I murmured. "It's where stars are born." When I'd first looked into the telescope at the night sky, my heart had clenched almost painfully when I realized I recognized what I was seeing: there was Jupiter and her four moons, there were the rings of Saturn, there was the Andromeda Galaxy. Somehow, I was on Earth, and their positions told me that I was deep, deep in the past.
He pulled back slowly, and his gaze stayed on the telescope for a moment before rising to the night sky, now just a blanket of bright dots to his naked eye. "You've created glass houses of eternal summer, mills that do the work of a dozen men, and spinning arrows that show the way home," he breathed, looking at the stars. "Yet of all your work, of all I've seen of war and wizards, surely this is the most glorious."
I smiled. "Happy Coronation Day, Romeo."
He looked at me. "Will you never cease to amaze me, Lady? I am a King, Lord of the Rohirrim, yet you are the one who makes even the heavens reveal their secrets."
"You, Horselord, are who I reveal them for," I told him. I arched an eyebrow and shrugged, grinning cheekily. "Plus, I like that it keeps your ego in check."
He smiled a little, but shook his head. "You are impossible."
I ran the backs of my fingers over his cheek. "You constantly awe me. You shoulder the burden of an entire country who looks to you for leadership, even while you grieve. You've had my back when the Lords questioned my skill, you've sheltered me other people's cruelty even when I was angry with you, you've protected me from orcs, and you never once asked for anything in return." I took his hand and traced the calluses with my fingertips. "I'm not a warrior like you. I'm can't ride into battle, wield a sword and charge fearlessly towards certain death. I'm just a scientist, a scholar. I belong in libraries, safe and sound and a little removed from the world. One day you're going to realize that and want a woman who understands glory and valor." I shrugged, letting his hand fall back to his side. "So I build things and show you the stars as long as you'll let me, because you're my best friend and you're Eomer, and I'm just… me."
His finger came under my chin, tipping my face up to look at him as he stood. "You think it a bad thing to be a scholar, safe in your library with your books? Lady, it is what I love about you." He made sure I was meeting his eye. "I do not want to come home to a hardened shield-maiden. I want you waiting for me, with ink stains on your fingers and smelling like musty books."
"I smell like musty books?"
Startled, Eomer started laughing and pulled me to his chest, pressing an affectionate kiss to my forehead. "Yes, you do. I find it endearing. It wasn't a scent I appreciated until you."
"I honestly don't know if that was a compliment or not," I told his chest.
He laughed and pulled back to grin at me. "It was a compliment," he assured me, clearly trying not to laugh.
"In that case, thank you. As a reward, so you want me to show you some more of the sky?"
He raised his eyebrows. "There's more?"
I snorted. "What, you thought my party trick was just showing you one blurry nebula? I've got so much more, Romeo. Here, let me show you the planets in our system."
Hours later, we were pulled out of our conversation by the lights suddenly going out as a maid doused the torches in the window. We blinked at each other in the sudden darkness. "Well, I guess that means the party's over."
"I didn't realize how quickly the time was passing," Eomer commented, looking around the now-empty garden as he stood. "Shall we go inside?"
"Yeah, I imagine most of your Eored have passed out by now," I said dryly. "Lead the way, your Majesty."
He arched an eyebrow as he guided me down the path. "You have an incredible talent for making a term of respect sound ever so slightly emasculating."
"It's one of my many fine qualities."
He caught my hand as we made our way into the East Wing. We walked in silence, not wanting to wake the sleeping guests, and finally stopped in front of my door. He smiled at me. "I would have a kiss before we part ways, Lady."
I grinned and leaned up on my tiptoes to wrap my arms around his neck, his lips meeting mine halfway. It was a sweet kiss of affection, but Eomer nipped my bottom lip gently, silently asking me to open. Obediently, I parted my lips, and the kiss deepened, becoming something less chaste than a goodnight kiss. I moaned against his lips as he slanted his mouth over mine.
His hands drifted to my hips, and he turned us, walking me backward with his body until I was pressed against the wall. His hand skimmed up the side of my waist and I shivered in his arms, pulling him even closer to me. Encouraged, his lips drifted to my jaw and then my neck, nipping the soft skin there as I tilted my head for better access, running my hands through his hair and panting a little as he braced himself against the wall with his other hand.
"I should be a gentleman and stop," he groaned against my neck.
"Don't you dare," I panted. I searched out his lips with mine, and he bit my lip before slanting his mouth over mine. With one hand, he opened the door to his quarters, not breaking the kiss. He started to lift his head, but I caught his face and kept it to mine, kissing him deeply as I turned us, pushing him into the bedroom. He closed the door and bolted it, not breaking the kiss, and then he was pressing me against the wall again.
I shivered beneath him and moaned breathily as he nipped the sensitive tendon on my neck. He made a little noise of appreciation. "God, that's the sexiest thing I've ever heard," he groaned against my collarbone. "Make that sound for me again."
I obliged helplessly when he lightly bit the spot below my ear, and his hand tightened on my waist as a reward. His head dipped lower and he began to run his lips over the top of my chest, his hand shifting to the back of my thigh when I instinctively raised my leg, and suddenly he lifted me until I wrapped my legs around his waist, still pressed against the wall. I grabbed his face and kissed him with all the heat he'd been building in me. My hands slipped under his tunic and tugged it up until he took the hint and lifted his arms, letting me pull it over his head and toss it on the floor.
He was on me again in a heartbeat, and I ran my hands over his back as he kissed me. His muscles flexed and moved beneath my fingers. He didn't immediately go for the gold; instead, his lips softly moved across the thin, achingly sensitive skin beneath my breast, his beard teasing the nerves there. It was such an unfamiliar sensation that I shivered and moaned again in rampant approval. Appreciatively, he rewarded me by nipping at my neck before dipping his tongue into the hollow of my throat, then down my chest until he was scraping the tops of my breasts again, his stubble rough on the tender skin there. He pulled back from the wall just enough to pull my dress over my head.
Unfortunately, the movement unsettled our balance and we toppled into a table stand and then to the floor, Eomer somehow managing to shift so that I landed safely on top of him. The table lay crookedly next to us, two legs snapped off. Eomer closed his eyes and groaned like an old man.
"Oh, no," I said, my lips quivering with the effort it took not to laugh at the disgruntled Grimace on his face. "Are you alright?" He gave me such a pathetic look that it completely dissolved my composure and I laughed helplessly as I pressed kisses all over his face, his hands on my hips. "I'm so sorry, I'm not laughing at you. This isn't funny," I said apologetically, trying and failing to rein in my giggling.
"After all that, and I didn't actually get your gown off. By Bema, you're going to be the death of me, woman," he sighed, but there was a glint in his eye that told me he didn't mind the attention he was getting.
"You'll die happy," I countered against his cheek, smiling as I felt his hands sliding up my thighs under my skirt. Amused, I pulled back slightly and arched an eyebrow at him. "Well, nothing ruins the mood for you, does it, Romeo?"
"I think I've got head trauma. I don't know what I'm doing," he said innocently as his hand squeezed my rear. I laughed and kissed him before crawling off him and standing, holding out a hand to help him up.
There was a sparkle in his eye as he climbed to his feet. That was the only warning I had before he tugged me to him and kissed me hard, his hands gripping my waist tightly. I stiffened in surprise, but almost instantly relaxed again and molded myself into him, running my fingers through his hair. His hand shifted to my back and I shivered in pleasure as his fingers trailed up my spine. I kissed his neck and nipped it lightly as he'd done me, and his grip tightened on my waist appreciatively. His other hand drifted from my waist, skimming the side of my breast teasingly before coming to rest on my jaw, tilting my head up until our lips met again.
Eomer began backing me towards the bed, but we missed and hit the bookshelf instead. It didn't even phase me; honestly, the feel of him, so much bigger than me, pinning me against it hit a primal nerve and I nipped at the underside of his jaw. He growled and tugged at my gown, successfully pulling it over my head this time, and tossed it behind him where knocked a basin to the ground with the sound of shattering porcelain that didn't even register with us.
He pulled back when he realized he still hadn't gotten me topless, and looked at the corset in frustration. "Oh, for the love of…what is that?!"
I laughed and started unhooking the clasps, but he just grabbed the top and ripped it apart, the hooks snapping off. Startled, I looked at it as it fell to the ground. "Well, I approve of the initiative, Horselord."
"I'll buy you a new one," he said distractedly, descending on the tendon of my neck.
I hissed when he nipped the sensitive skin of my now-bare shoulder. God, this man could play me like a fiddle. "I was going to burn it anyway."
Skin to skin, we pressed even more tightly together. Something had changed, some innate instinct had taken over, and my hands ran over his solid chest as he kissed me almost frantically.
His hands dipped to the backs of my thighs and suddenly he lifted me, and I wrapped my legs around him without hesitation. He started to move to the bed, but missed and knocked me against the dresser, some of the drawers coming open. Finally, he tossed me on the bed, coming between my legs to lie over me, his feet still on the floor.
He slid down me, dragging his tongue along the underside of my breasts, and his hands dipped lower to run between my petticoat and the skin of my belly. Obligingly, I lifted my hips and he slid it off, the skirt knocking books off the shelves he'd tossed it on. I sat up to breeches off, pleasantly surprised to find he was going commando. I growled and slid off the bed to my knees, taking him in my mouth.
He gave a choked groan and leaned back against the wall, accidentally knocking off an unlit torch, but we both ignored it as his other hand buried itself in my hair. I swirled my tongue around him, running my teeth very gently over the sensitive head before taking him fully in my mouth, and his hand tightened in my hair. I sucked and licked him, hearing his breathing turn to pants, until finally he pulled me up and kissed me hard. "You're going to make me forget all my good intentions," he growled against my lips, right before lifting me onto the bed.
Before I even registered what happened, my underwear had landed on the doorknob and Eomer was kneeling on the floor, nipping at the thin skin on the inside of my thighs as he pulled my leg over his shoulder. His hands settled on my hips as his mouth slowly made its way upward, lacking and nibbling until it found the sensitive skin where my leg joined my torso. When his tongue finally found my core, I gasped.
He growled as he sucked and licked me, alternating between long, slow strokes up my slit and short swirls around that little bundle of nerves that had me panting and tensing around him. He slipped a finger into me and I nearly came off the bed with a cry, clenching around the digit. He rubbed my button with his thumb and I shivered, every muscle in my body starting to tighten as he drove me closer and closer to the edge. I could feel him watching me as his fingers toyed with me relentlessly, my hands fisted in the comforter. Finally, he slipped another finger inside me and I shattered with a choked cry.
He stood and settled between my legs, leaning over me to kiss me hard even as I was floating back to Earth. I clutched at his shoulders, feeling him poised at my entrance, and he slid himself teasingly up and down my slit, not entering me. Frustrated, I bucked against him, desperate to feel him. He bit my shoulder and finally slid inside me, making us both groan as he stretched me. I buried my face in his neck, feeling my inner muscles flutter around him as I adjusted to his girth, and his hands clenched like vices on my waist at the sensation.
Slowly, he pulled back until he was almost out, then pushed in again, the rhythm almost as seductive as the act itself. The friction was delicious, and I threw my head back when he found that wonderful spot inside me that had me swearing quietly into his shoulder. Encouraged by the approving profanity, he began to pick up his pace, slamming into me so hard that he was hitting my cervix, driving me wild with pleasure.
I sat up and tightened my legs around him to pull him even deeper, and the action sent us sliding to the floor, the blanket knocking over a candle and book as it followed us to the floor.
With me on top, he hit even deeper and I shuddered at the feeling as I began to ride him. His hand went to my breasts, his other settling on my hip, and I braced myself on his chest, feeling it move frantically beneath my hands as he panted. As I neared that peak, I opened my eyes slightly to find him looking at me like I was the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen, and it sent me over the edge with a cry. My muscles clenched hard around him and he grunted, his hips bucking instinctively to push himself so deep that he was pressed almost painfully against my cervix as he came, pulsing inside me.
Panting, I collapsed across his chest, both of us trying to catch our breath. My entire body was tingling and both of us were covered in sweat, but neither of us made an attempt to move; in fact, though I was surely crushing him, Eomer wrapped his arms around me, stroking my hair. My head was resting on his shoulder and he pressed a kiss to my forehead. After two mind-blowing orgasms, all I could do was close my eyes and breathe.
Finally, I got the energy to press a kiss to his cheek. "That was... Has it ever been like this..."
"Never," he confirmed. We lay there silently for a moment, Eomer running his fingers up and down my spine lazily. "I have to ask...where did you learn to swear like that?"
I laughed and sat up slightly so I could smile at him. "My office window is right above the armory, and…some of it just stuck."
He laughed, but rolled his head to look at the bedroom. I followed his gaze, wincing at the destruction we'd caused in our enthusiasm. "Well, this might be difficult to explain to the stewards."
I laid my head on his chest tiredly. "Screw it. Just light Meduseld on fire and get a new one."
He laughed and swatted my butt playfully. I grinned and finally rolled off him to climb to my feet, holding my hand out to help him up.
0o0o0o0o0
I dreamed I was back in Savannah in the wet heat of a southern summer. Sweating, I woke up only to find that Eomer had wrapped around me in his sleep. I relaxed and let myself lay there for a little while, enjoying the peace: all of Edoras was asleep and Eomer was asleep behind me, his chest pressed to my back and his arm draped over my waist. Unfortunately, the moment of serenity passed in favor of more immediate concerns: I had to pee, and having a sleeping Eomer around you was like getting a bear hug from a furnace.
I carefully tried to untangle myself from Eomer's arms, but made an inconvenient discovery: a lifetime of combat and hard work had given the King impressive muscle, which meant that if he didn't want to let someone go, that person wasn't going.
I had just decided to go back to sleep when his arm tightened around me and he grunted. Surprised, I rolled over to see if he was awake, but his eyes were closed and I could see them shifting quickly beneath his eyelids; he was deep in REM sleep, and judging by the scowl on his face, it wasn't a pleasant dream. He grunted again, but this time, it was a noise of distress.
I shifted and nudged his shoulder to wake him, but it seemed to startle him instead. Before I had time to blink, Eomer was straddling me, pinning me to the bed, his eyes glassy and vacant.
My hands were holding his wrist, trying to keep him from putting more pressure on the knife he had pressed to my throat.
I went very, very still. "Eomer, wake up." I kept my voice calm and quiet, afraid that if I yelled at him, he would slit my carotid artery. "Eomer. Come on, Romeo. It's me."
The knife pressed deeper, and I could feel the stinging burn as the skin give way slightly.
Think, Leigh. He was clearly dreaming, probably of battle. Maybe if his mind processed something out of place, it would pull him from the dream. What was the opposite of battle?
"Hush little baby, don't say a word. Momma's gonna buy you a mockingbird," I sang soothingly. My eyes were squeezed shut. "And if that mockingbird don't sing, Momma's gonna buy you a diamond ring." Eomer was relaxing slightly. I didn't stop singing. "And if that diamond ring turns brass, Momma's gonna buy you a looking glass. And if that looking glass gets broke, Momma's gonna buy you a billy goat."
"Bema!" Eomer jerked off me, dropping the knife in horror.
I lay there, my eyes still squeezed shut, afraid to move, afraid to breathe. "Are you awake?"
"Yes. Oh, Valar, Leigh, I didn't... I'm so sorry."
I opened my eyes. Eomer was well and truly awake now, and staring at me in horror, his eyes flicking to the knife and back at me. I swallowed and sat up, clutching the blanket over my chest.
"Bema, you're bleeding," he realized, reaching for me. He froze when I flinched, and he looked like he'd been physically struck. "Leigh."
"I'm fine, Romeo." And it was the truth. He'd had a dream. "It's just a scratch."
"I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. I'm so sorry. I'm..."
I shifted to my knees and pulled him into my arms, pressing a kiss to his cheek as he buried his face in my neck. He was shaking. "It's ok, Romeo. Shhh. Everything is going to be alright. I've got you. Shhh."
"Bema, what if I hadn't woken up? What if I'd..."
"But you did. You woke up. I'm fine," I told him firmly. I stroked his hair. "It's ok. Everything is going to be alright."
He pulled back and looked at me. "Leigh, I..."
"I know." I tucked his hair behind his ear. I looked out the window and saw the sun rising. "People are going to wake soon. I don't want to leave you like this, but..."
"I know. It's ok. I'm fine."
"Are you sure?" I asked seriously. "I can..."
I wasn't sure what the end of that sentence was – Be caught having premarital sex with the King? Hide under the bed till the pages left? – but he just shook his head. "I will not risk your reputation over... It's fine, Leigh."
I sighed and crawled out of bed, gathering my clothes. "I'll see you in a few hours, Romeo."
0o0o0o0o0
Thorgil was waiting outside my door, and I smiled at him. "Good morning."
"My Lady." His eyes were a bloodshot and he looked a little green around the edges. If I remembered correctly, I'd spotted him in a drinking game last night.
"You know, I think it's going to be a busy day for me," I said casually as he followed me down the hall. I could swear I was getting a contact hangover just being near him. "As a matter of fact, I'll be at my desk for hours, and if a soldier just happened to take a nap on my couch, I'll probably be too absorbed in my work to even notice," I added innocently.
He gave me a grateful smile and I winked at him.
The Meduseld was eerily quiet, given that most of her occupants were wildly hungover. The Great Hall was lined with table and, I noticed with a grin, the cooks had laid out Rohan's equivalent of hangover food. Even the hobbits and Gimli looked a little worse for wear.
Deciding to eat in my office so Thorgil could lie down, I snagged two rolls on our way passed and headed to the West Wing. My guard hesitated by the door as I entered, clearly wondering if I was serious about him lying down or if he should stand his post outside the door, but I just shot him a don't-be-an-idiot look and nodded pointedly at the couch by the window as I sat at my desk. He looked relieved and obediently sprawled across the couch, pulling the door almost shut so that no one walking by would see him.
I smiled into my roll and got to work.
Two hours later, there was a knock on my door. "Come," I called quietly, not looking up from the paper.
"Why is your hand-chosen, highly trained, and very well-payed guard asleep?"
I looked up and smiled. "Because he over-celebrated your coronation." I set the quill down and leaned back in my chair. "He'd wake up if I needed him."
"I should fire him," Eomer told me as he perched on my desk, but he kept his voice quiet so as not to wake Thorgil.
"You'll do no such thing," I chided with a laugh.
He smiled, but nodded at the papers on my desk. "What are you possibly working on? The entire city has the day off."
"Oh, it's the instructions for assembling the telescope." I gave him a sheepish smile. "I had to write it in English since I can't write technical language in Common yet. Rose will have to read it to him."
He raised his eyebrows. "Why don't you just assemble it and send it with him?"
"I'm sending the parts with him," I explained. "But when it's assembled, it's too delicate for weeks on a wagon."
Eomer nodded. He was silent for a moment. "About this morning… I understand if you want to call off the engagement. If you want to leave with Rose and Boromir tomorrow, I will bear you no ill will."
I blinked at him. "The hell you say."
"Leigh, I almost –"
I cut him off, obstinately crossing my arms over my chest. "Romeo, if you want to call off our engagement, then we're about to have a very long, very loud fight, and I'll end up winning anyway, because I'm right," I informed him bluntly.
"What if it happens again and I don't wake up?" He ran a hand through his hair. "Bema, if I hurt you, Leigh, I couldn't live with myself."
I met his gaze firmly. "You're going to talk to Eothain. You have what's called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Most of those who fought in the War seem to." I leaned forward. "In my world, there's medicine to take and people who specialize in treating it. As it is, the best you can do is talk to someone who understands, and I wasn't there."
He studied me for a long moment. "And how do I possibly start a conversation like that? 'Say, friend, do you perchance awaken in the dark hours to find yourself with a knife to your beloved's throat?'" he mimed sarcastically.
"Well, I wouldn't lead with that," I said dryly. "My suggestion is to call him into your study, get a tankard of ale in him, and go from there, but then, men are strange." I shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe punch him in the face and start talking. You two have a weird relationship."
Eomer started laughing. "You are the most irreverent woman I've ever met."
"Someone has to keep your ego in check," I shrugged. "Now, get thee gone, Romeo. I've got work to do."
0o0o0o0o0
"Ioreth said that twins come early, so they'll probably be born in about two months," Rose said as we descended the steps of Meduseld.
We'd spent the entire morning in my office, talking about everything but that she was leaving. It wasn't until a page came to inform us that the Gondorian party was ready to depart that we'd finally been forced to face that we had to say goodbye.
Eomer was talking to Aragorn and Boromir, and Eowyn looked like she was fighting tears as she said goodbye to Faramir.
"I'll come in eight weeks."
"You'd better. I need my best friend there." Her voice was tight. "I don't know if I can do this without you."
"I'll be there," I promised. "You don't get to have those babies without me." I swallowed hard around the lump in my throat. I wasn't going to cry. I wasn't going to cry. "You've got the instructions for the telescope? And the designs for the windmill? You remembered to pack the Slide Rule I made you, right?"
She sniffed. "Yes, mother, I did," she smiled wetly. I choked out a laugh. "I'll send you a case of pencils as soon as I finish them," she promised.
Boromir and Eomer came over, Boromir leading his horse. "I'm sorry, love, but we have to leave."
Both of us swallowed hard and looked at each other, and then I hugged her tightly. "Be safe, ok?"
"Don't try to make any potions without clearing it with me, ok? You're terrible at chemistry," she choked against my neck. I laughed wetly into her hair. "We'll see each other in two months."
"If you need me for anything, just send me a message and I'll come running."
She nodded and finally pulled back. We looked at each other for a second, but this was it. We couldn't stall any more. Swallowing hard, she climbed into the carriage. Suddenly, she poked her head out the window. "I love you, vile woman."
I laughed. "I love you, too."
Eomer settled an arm over my shoulders as we watched the Gondorian party start down the hill, and my lip started quivering. She was my only connection from home, the only person who enjoyed science as much as me, and the only person who understood my pop culture jokes. But more than that, she was my best friend. I swallowed hard as I watched her leave. "She's gone."
Eomer sighed and pulled me to him, holding me tightly as I buried my face in his chest and burst into tears.
0o0o0o0o0
Eomer looked up when I knocked on the door to his study. "Come in."
I sat in the chair beside his by the fireplace. "What are you working on?"
"I've been studying the works of my ancestors, in the hopes their wisdom may aid me with the evils Rohan now faces."
I grinned. "I see I've been a bad influence."
"There are worse habits to pick up." He closed the book and set it on the table. "How are you?"
"I miss Rose," I admitted. I shook my head. "It's ridiculous. I'm going to see her in eight weeks."
"She's the closest thing you have to family," he said sympathetically. "It's only natural that you would feel her absence."
I leaned my head back against the chair and looked at him. "I just wanted hang out with you for a little while before I went to bed."
He smiled. "Your company is always welcome. In fact, I have a gift for you that I hope will chase away your sadness."
I raised my head and eyebrows. "Is it candy?" I teased. "Cause then I might just marry you."
He laughed as he reached into the drawer, pulling out a small velvet bag. "Alas, it is not candy, but something I think you will enjoy more." Leaning forward, he upended the bag and a small ring fell into his palm. He held it up for me to see. The delicate gold band was woven like vines and encrusted with tiny emeralds, and a larger one, the main stone, was haloed by tiny diamonds. "It has been in my family for generations."
My eyes widened as I leaned forward. "Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ," I murmured. "It's stunning, Romeo."
"Always has the Queen of Rohan worn it." I looked at him. "I never asked you, but I do now. Will you marry me, Lady?"
I grinned. "Well, someone has to let you think you're in charge until you get cocky about it."
He rolled his eyes at me, but he was smiling as he slipped it onto my finger. "I had it sized, and let me tell you, that was a trick to pull off without your knowing."
I laughed, holding up my hand. The stones glimmered in the light from the torches. "It's beautiful, Romeo."
He took my hand and tugged me from my chair, and I let him pull me onto his lap, one hand settling on my thigh and his other arm wrapping around me. "I spoke with Eothain."
"And?"
"He's been having the same problems. We spoke for a long while."
"Did it help?"
"There were things I'd rather not remember, and..." He sighed. "He is my closest friend, but I am still his liege. There are parts of my soul that I can bare only to you, Lady, and I know not if I should tell you." He pressed a kiss to my neck. "You've a happy spirit and know nothing of war, and I would not be the person to tell you of such evil things."
"I'm your person, Romeo," I told him, tucking some stray hair behind his ear. "Tell me."
He was quiet for a moment. "There is one dream that has plagued me these many months," he said quietly. "You know of the Battle of Pelennor Fields?" I nodded. "The Southrons had monstrous beasts greater in size than anything the mind can imagine."
"Oliphants."
He nodded distractedly, his eyes going slightly distant. "They were sweeping the fields with their tusks, and our Riders had no chance. I saw my squire speared by the barbs between their tusks, his arms flailing. He was still alive when the beast threw him far into the air." Eomer pinched his nose. "He was just fourteen. He'd been my squire for three years."
"And you dream about it?"
"In my dreams, I see him impaled again and again, and I see his arms grasping at the barb through his gut." He leaned his head back against the chair.
My stomach turned at the thought, but I forced back my revulsion and kept my face impartial. This was about Eomer. "What happened?"
"I saw who drove the beast, and speared him through the chest. His monster swerved and took out another of the beasts."
I ran my fingers through his hair soothingly. "You got your revenge." He opened his eyes and raised his head to look at me. "There's an old quote where I come from: 'They pull a knife, you pull a gun. He sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue.'" I met his gaze. "They took your men. You took their army."
Eomer looked down at my lap and laced our fingers together. "His name was Gideon."
I stared out our joined hands, wondering what to say. I knew better than to give advice – I didn't have any words of wisdom to give – but I could tell he needed to keep talking, to get it out. "Why don't you tell me about him?"