A/N: Once again, I have come to realize that I should never underestimate you guys. In only a few short hours, you guys have met and exceeded my expectations. So, as promised, here's another chapter. The responses to the many reviews are at the bottom.

Tomorrow is sort of a busy day for me, but I will post another chapter in the morning, and then again maybe in the evening. Those will be the last two chapters, and then this story is done. Scary, right? But don't worry; I am working hard on the sequel.


Night had fallen and I was sitting in the courtyard below my room. I had become too restless to sit at my window. Now that the battle was over and the prospect of leaving at first light had come to mind, my heart would not stay still long enough to find rest. I knew that I should have been sleeping, just so I would not look ragged when we reached the encampment, but no matter how long I lay in my bed, I could not find sleep.

So I had resigned myself to the courtyard, staring up at the stars through the leaves of the trees. It was well into spring, and new life was forming around me. The leaves were small, only just forming. Life was beginning again. I sighed, content with the knowledge that, in just three days' time, I would be in Éomer's arms again.

I pulled my hair over my shoulder and ran my fingers through the curls, thinking of him. I was anxious, for I was unsure of how he would treat me. I knew that I would have to control myself, for propriety's sake, but I knew that it would be difficult to do anything save vaulting from my saddle and into his arms. I sighed, longing for the security and warmth that came with his embrace.

The stars blinked overhead, and I wondered vaguely if Éomer was looking up at the stars. During my vigil, the slight possibility that Éomer would be looking at the same stars as I was had given me hope, and now was no different. I closed my eyes and let the breeze bring the smell of the river to my nose.

But my solitude was interrupted as I heard a twig snap behind me. I quickly stood from my seated position and turned to face the intruder. My hand went to my back, where my dagger was hidden.

"There is no need for that, Braedia," a voice said.

My breath caught in my throat and my eyes went wide.

"Erchirion," I breathed, feeling anxious.

Erchirion stepped out of the shadows and into the moonlight. It was strange to regard him, for he looked so different from his younger siblings. While he shared their bright blue eyes, he had the same blond hair as his father, the only child to have inherited the trait. It was pulled back in a traditional style, which kept it out of his sharply angled face. His eyes were not unkind, and did not regard me with the disgust that his siblings were so prone to have for me. I did not relax, but I could see that he meant no harm. He was dressed simply, only wearing a tunic and breeches, and he carried no weapons. He looked as if he had risen from bed for a midnight stroll, just as I had done earlier.

We studied each other for a long moment, waiting for the other to make the first move. He had walked to be less than five paces from me, but had not moved since. He was invading on my privacy, so I wanted him to speak first. He eventually looked away from my gaze and out toward the horizon.

"What brings you out at this hour? Should you not be resting for tomorrow's journey?" Erchirion asked, clearing his throat a little first.

"I find myself unable to quiet my mind enough. What brings you out this far? Surely there are courtyards aplenty in the House of the Steward," I said, trying my best to stay casual. But it was hard to remain causal with any of the family that had tried to make a fool out of me.

Erchirion sighed and looked down a little. I still looked at him, waiting for an answer to my question.

"The House of the Steward has become a little oppressive as of late. There is quiet here," he said.

I did not acknowledge that answer, though I found it curious. We stayed in awkward silence for another long moment. I made no move to leave, for this was essentially my courtyard. I had been here first, and I would not abandon it because he had merely walked in. But he made no move to look at me, and he appeared to be lost in thought. I wondered vaguely what he was thinking about, but I left it at that. The whole family was made up of schemers, and it did not take much imagination to guess at their thoughts.

"I thought of you often, during your banishment," Erchirion said finally, his voice low and soft.

I was so startled by this that I did not know how to respond. I simply raised my eyebrows and opened and closed my mouth a few times, no words coming out. I quickly composed myself as his intense blue eyes turned to me.

"Oh?" I said simply, not trusting myself to speak any other words.

"I know that it did not seem like it at the time, but I did not wish for things to turn as they did. Lothíriel was using me as much as she was using you," Erchirion said.

I scoffed and turned away. A statement like that coming from anyone of the House of Dol Amroth held just as much water as a holey pail.

"Braedia, do not do this to me. I have never meant you any harm," Erchirion said, growing exasperated.

"Then tell me: what makes you think you can play me for a fool this time when I have seen how deceitful your family can be?" I spat, throwing my words over my shoulder and not looking at him.

Erchirion sighed, and paused in his speech for a moment. "Because I know what I did was wrong. And I have regretted it every day since," he said heavily.

The tone of sincerity caused me to turn and looked at him. I was ready to throw hot, angry words at him for trying to trick me again, but the slump of his shoulders and the tears in his eyes prevented the words from escaping.

"If I had known your true feelings, then I never would have approached you in such a manner. If I had seen what a lying, scheming wench that my sister is, then I never would have believed what she told me of you," Erchirion said, his voice shaking.

I wanted to speak, but all words and logical thought flew from my head. It was like watching an animal die a slow and painful death, and not having the power to ease its pain. I had no idea what to say or do, no idea what was even happening. I had spent much of my life hating this man for what he had tried to do to me, but now it all seemed that there was new information to be had.

"What did she tell you?" I asked hoarsely.

Erchirion looked at me, his eyes growing a little more determined. "She told me that you enjoyed it when men would force you into…"

Erchirion's voice cracked and failed him. I bit back angry words. It was not unheard of for certain women to like that sort of treatment, but to have it be attributed to me was unthinkable. Did Lothíriel's venom know no bounds? I shook my head.

"And she told me that you were interested in me. But I told her, in not so vague terms, that I was not interested in you. I believe that most know to whom my heart belonged at that time," I said flatly, now finding myself unable to look at him.

"She said that you were just shy, but had an…exotic side that enjoyed a special treatment. She said that you would give in eventually. Little did she know that you have one mean right hook," Erchirion said, rubbing his jaw a little at the memory.

We shared a tentative laugh. We both looked up at each other in the same moment and I sighed.

"Your sister has been wrong about many things over the years," I whispered, my voice only barely reaching his ears.

"Was she wrong when she said that you tried to kill her today?" he whispered back.

My anger from my earlier encounter came back and my hands formed into fists at my sides and I gnashed my teeth violently.

"She accused Éomer of one of the worst things a man of Rohan could ever do, and I only meant to scare her. I value my life too much to actually take the time out of my day to kill her," I said spitefully, spitting out the words with a little more aggression than I should have.

Surprisingly, Erchirion just chuckled softly. "Well, rest easy in the knowledge that you succeeded. She was terrified. While you often sparred verbally with her, you never took out your anger on her physically," Erchirion said, and I swore that I heard of touch of admiration in his voice.

"What can I say? Rohan has done nothing to help me control my temper," I said jestingly, a smirk playing across my face.

Erchirion laughed a little, but then we fell into silence again. I shuffled my feet, unsure of what to do. I was still apprehensive about his intentions, but I noticed that he had not closed the distance between us when he could have.

"Lothíriel expressed a wish to ride out to the encampment with us," Erchirion said after a moment.

My heart clenched. I was not ready for Éomer to meet Lothíriel. I had to see him first, to know that I had not imagined his feelings for me.

"Oh?" I said again, matching my tone from before.

"And I have denied her request. She has no true reason to visit the soldiers. It is not as if she cannot wait for their return. And my father and brother expressed no dire need for her presence," Erchirion said.

I looked up at him, and he was giving me a significant look. I gasped ever so slightly, and he smiled at me.

"Thank you, my lord," I said simply, unsure of what else I could do or say.

"Do not waste your days. She will be on him the moment he steps foot in this city," Erchirion warned, his smile unwavering.

I gave him the first true smile since our first meeting and he bowed slightly before turning and leaving me alone again. I looked to the stars again and closed my eyes. I sent a silent prayer of thanks to the Valar, for only they could have influenced such a change in my fate. I went back to my room after a moment, and found that sleep came easier.

I woke only after a few hours, and certainly before first light. I found that I was wide awake, despite only having had a few hours of sleep. I quickly went to my wardrobe and found the dress that I was to wear.

It was a pretty dress, a deep grey linen that accented the color of my eyes. There were accents of silver and green to the overdress, and the skirt was of enough volume to make riding acceptable. The front and back of the overdress were split for comfort, allowing the peat green underdress to be seen.

Thankfully, I was able to lace the dress on my own without having to resort to a maid's help. I had yet to see any of the chambermaids or handmaidens with whom I had grown up with, and something in me told me that they were abstinently avoiding me, but in that moment, it mattered very little. Those were things that could be taken care of once I returned.

I braided my hair back in a simple plait, just to keep it from blowing in my face during the ride. I wore my usual boots, which thankfully had been washed and repaired. I was able to slip my knife back into its usual sheath, and it felt comforting there.

I turned to leave my room, but was surprised to find that Elrohir was standing in the doorway, his hand poised to knock. I jumped a little, but laughed all the same.

"I have come to escort you to the stables, my lady. Our company is eager to depart," he said with a little nod of his head.

I nodded and he extended his arm, which I took a little reluctantly. Even after all the times that Legolas had insisted on escorting me, I was still not used to the feeling.

We made our way in silence to the stable and I was pleased to find that Círdor was brushing down Narmírë, using the skills I had shown him yesterday. She seemed all the more relaxed around him, which was comforting. Círdor looked up at our approach, and seemed a little awestruck. I wrote it off to Elrohir's presence. He gave a little bow, which I found highly amusing.

"Well done, Círdor. I believe that you and Narmírë will become fast friends," I said with a little smile.

Círdor grinned a little, but saddled Narmírë quickly and efficiently. Elrohir stood a little behind me, just a silent watch. After Círdor was finished, he seemed a little put out. I looked around, and found that there was still plenty of time left before we were to depart.

"Círdor, what will you do while I am gone?" I asked softly.

He looked at me, confused. "I will take care of other horses," he said, his confusion showing through his words.

I took the reins from Círdor as he led her out of the stall. I rubbed her nose a little. "What do you say to that, my sweet? Would you like your groom to take care of others that are not you?" I asked, speaking lovingly to Narmírë.

She shot me a heated look and then looked to Círdor with the same expression. Círdor seemed startled that she would even recognize me, let alone show him any other emotion than amused indifference.

"You see, Narmírë can be quite jealous, and she often finds it hard to believe that there are other horses out there that require more attention than her. I feel that she would be offended if you were to remain behind and not take care of her," I said.

Círdor took a moment to realize what I meant, but when he did, a huge grin spread across his face.

"I will prepare, my lady," he said, giving me another bow before dashing off.

I laughed, and I heard a chuckle from behind me. I turned to find Elrohir smiling at me. I gave him a questioning look, and he approached me.

"You have many sides, Braedia, daughter of Deonvan. It has been amusing to see them all," Elrohir said.

I blushed a little and looked away. "And what sides of me have you seen?" I asked, stroking Narmírë's neck, just to have something to do with my hands.

"I have seen you to be caring, compassionate, but you can also be a ruthless viper when those you love are insulted or threatened," Elrohir said.

I gasped and looked at him. "You did not witness last night at the corral, did you?" I asked, mortally embarrassed that my temper had been shown so quickly.

Elrohir gave a little chuckle. "Éomer King requested that I keep watch over you. He knows how utterly stubborn you can be at times, his exact words being, if I remember correctly, 'she will hate me, but I cannot, in good conscience, leave her to her own devices, for she will surely get herself killed if I do', but I could be remembering wrong," Elrohir said, brushing his words off.

I gave him a stern, but amused, look. Elves were not prey to forgetfulness, but his humor was not lost on me.

"He only knows these things because he is my equal in those categories," I said, attempting to be stern.

Elrohir and I laughed again, but then fell into silence for another moment.

"I also witnessed your exchange with the Dol Amroth captain," Elrohir said, lowering his voice to near a whisper.

I blushed again and looked away.

"If you do not wish me to know of the exact events, then I will respect your privacy," Elrohir said, quickly trying to amend some imagined hurt.

"No, it is not that. The whole affair was messy, and there has been bad blood between myself and Dol Amroth ever since. I was labeled a harlot, a seducer, when in truth, Lord Erchirion and I were both naïve to the truth of the whole fabricated situation. Boromir was able to mend some of the hurt, but the stigma that came with the events has yet to pass," I said, speaking no louder than he so not to be overheard.

"If you do not mind my asking, which stigma were you hastily given?" Elrohir asked.

I sighed and shook my head. I could have spoken the words to Legolas with little thought. I knew he would keep my secret and not judge me, for he knew my true character. But Elrohir's motives and beliefs were still a mystery to me, and I wasn't entirely sure that I trusted him, despite my feelings that we could be good friends, if the time were allowed for such a relationship to develop.

"They called me a usurper, for I had apparently tried to seduce the second of Dol Amroth, and it was clear that the heir to the Stewardship favored me," I said, the old shame I had long since buried coming to the surface once again.

To have my honor questioned was mortifying, and it reminded me of bad memories. There was a touch of my shoulder and I look to find that Elrohir was giving me a concerned look. He didn't say anything for a long moment, and he seemed to hesitate, debating on what he wanted to say. I allowed him to think, though it seemed as if he didn't really need to say anything. His comforting touch was enough.

Thankfully, Círdor approached before the moment became too long. He was leading a dark brown gelding, a strong and steady mount. It wasn't a warhorse, nor was it one of the great steeds that the herds of Rohan produced, but it was satisfactory. Círdor, as least, was pleased with himself. Elrohir smiled at me once more before walking away. Círdor started chatting away for a moment, telling me what he had packed for the journey. I was barely listening as we moved out into the courtyard where the party was gathered.

There was a troop of thirty Swan Knights, though that was just a small fraction of the number that protected Minas Tirith. Faramir was standing with Erchirion, speaking very seriously. Éowyn was standing off to one side with her horse, which I found to be strange. I walked with Narmírë and Círdor over to her. She smiled at me briefly, but her gaze was caught by something. I followed her eyes and wasn't surprised to find she was staring at Faramir. I gave her a sly, teasing smile, and she blushed quite an attractive shade of pink. I just laughed and left her to drain her cheeks.

Faramir finished his conversation and then came over to Éowyn, Círdor and I. He greeted us with a little smile, though he was slightly confused by the boy's presence, but said nothing about it.

"I wish you well on your journey and eagerly await your return," he said.

His words were intended for the both of us, but his eyes were locked on Éowyn. She nodded and seemed a little breathless. I didn't say anything, just for their sake. Éowyn would, however, get a thorough teasing later after we departed.

The farewells were exchanged and, before long, everyone was mounted and ranks were formed. Elrohir and Erchirion rode in front, while Éowyn, Círdor, myself and a ranking officer forced the first line.

As we left, I noticed that Amrothos and Lothíriel were standing behind Faramir, watching us go. I simply threw a triumphant smile in her direction; I was rewarded with an ugly scowl on her pretty face. I held in the urge to throw my head back and laugh, just for propriety's sake. But my heart was lighter than air. In only three days' time, I would be with Éomer once again.


A/N: Please don't hate me. Eomer is coming back in the next chapter, I promise. But here are the responses.

Zoe: Oh, there will be. And thank you for the birthday wish.

Ashes2Dust18: If I haven't said so before, I'm a pretty big Game of Thrones fan. And if I've learned anything from watching Games of Thrones, it is that those who deserve to have something bad happen to them, usually don't get it, at least not right away.

Certh: I will begin writing right away.

Abi: I'm doing the best I can. I do want to wait a few hours between chapters.

LightsCDark: You attitude toward FF is sort of my attitude toward YouTube, but FF has just passed YouTube as my most visited page, which is saying something. And I know people are getting anxious about seeing Eomer, but he's coming, so just be patient.

Ambray: Which part of the UK are you from? I have a friend from Liverpool, and it might just be a really small world...And yes, read all of those stories because they are SOOO good. Good stories, I hate to admit it, are hard to find. I'm considering starting up a community thingy so that anyone who finds a good story they want to recommend to others can put it there. What say everyone to that idea?

glitterballx: No, I'm pretty sure that Lothy, being the arrogant bitch that she is, was thinking that Braedia was actually aiming for her head and missed. But that's just me...

Charlotte: I'm pretty sure that FF only lets you post one review per chapter, so to prevent spam. But no, it really wouldn't. I post a chapter when I get the chance, and tomorrow is a busy day for me. I'll do my best to get two out tomorrow, but the last chapter may have to wait depending on how many reviews I get and how much I choose to respond to them. And I honestly haven't thought about an Eowyn/Faramir story. I just don't think I could do Eowyn justice, as a character. And I've got plenty of ideas for a couple other tangent stories.

EarthMama: I'm pretty sure that Braedia would be the Alpha Female in the wolf pack, even if I were in it personally. And I always find that words are a lot more powerful than any physical threat. Plus, it's a lot more fun to write. And thank you for the birthday wish.

Willow: And you've still got one more chapter...sorry.

Bluebonnet: I have a great scene planned for everything and the scene where Eomer and Lothiriel meet is no exception. Though I do have to warn you, because of the way the story is told, there is serious bias going on right now. Braedia HATES Lothiriel, so she's obvious going to paint a really bad picture of her. Just keep that in mind, going forward.

Princess of Hounds: I love that you agree that she has one very big flaw, because I've worked very hard to make her stubborn. I'm pretty sure that it was back in chapter 3, Willow pointed out even then that Braedia is super stubborn, and I warned everyone that it was only going to get worse. Was I right? *nods knowingly*

WV: No worries. Everyone gets busy. And I'm glad to have you back. As to your little criticism, Faramir was busy herding people out and preparing to leave. And it wasn't as if he just scooped her up without asking. But I see your point. I'll try to keep that in mind. And as for introducing Elrohir, I thought it was appropriate. He would be trusted by Aragorn, because he knew Elrohir from basically birth; he would be a fast and sure rider, because of his hertiage; and he would be respected for all the previous reasons.

Sven: I'm glad to see that you have found your voice, and I'm glad to hear that you are enjoying the story. Like I said, I think I may start a community for good Lord of the Rings fictions. So if you know of any, please recommend them so I can add them to the list.

brandi: I am excited to show more of them, especially in the sequel. But be careful; Elrohir and Elladan are not Elves. They are Peredhil, Half-Elven. My beta called me on the carpet about my use of Elf to describe them, but I'm getting away with it because the narrator (Braedia) doesn't know any better.

I look forward to seeing your reviews for this chapter. Only two more left!