Disclaimer: The fictional world of LotR belongs to Tolkien and I make no money from this. I own Andromeda and any subsequent original characters. The Greek world presented in this story is a fictionalised version and myths and gods mentioned are real.
PS: I am sorry it took me a while to finish this chapter, ever since the lockdown my mental health has not been great but comments made by you guys really encouraged me and reminded me why I love this story and you guys so much.
This chapter is very important to me so please leave a review! I need to know what you guys think.
People of Rohan had gathered that night in remembrance of those they had lost in the war. Éowyn offered a goblet to Théoden before retiring behind him. He then lifted the goblet and toasted to the victorious dead. Like all of Rohan she returned the sentiment and offered her cup "Hail!" they all screamed, and she had no doubt that the dead could hear them from the underworld.
Next to her she noticed Aragorn pause before drinking from his cup. "The dead won't mind if you pass but the living looks on you to move on. Perhaps you are not their king, but you have saved more than they have lost." She urged him to drink and so he had.
He looked at the crowd of people and wondered how he could ever make it right to them. How could he apologise for those he could not have saved? How could he ever make it so that this would never happen to them ever again. This war had been going on for all the ages he had been alive and all the ages before him. He saw no end in sight, yet his instincts told him soon that would change. He looked at Andromeda and saw her dead. He looked at Legolas, dead. Gimli, dead. This entire hall was filled with people waiting to die.
He downed his goblet of wine and ventured out to seek more.
In concern for him, Éowyn approached Andromeda. "He looks devastated."
She smiled at the woman, but she had very little comfort to offer. "As your father will tell you, or your cousin. My husband too can attest, there is no victory in death. Aragorn knows this and while we toast to the passing of those lost to war, he thinks of us. Then he thinks of wives that will never get used to the emptiness of their bed, a plate missing from the dinner table, children waiting for a bedtime story that shall never come."
Éowyn too seemed devastated now, she had been one of those children. She had toasted to the passing of her father per their custom. Then she heard her mother cry each night till her own passing. She felt Andromeda's hand on her shoulder and offered her a smile. "Do you think that…?"
Understanding her question, she looked at her feet in shame. "I do not think we will all die, not as he does at least but I do think that there will come a time we will all wish we were bestowed the kindness of death."
Éowyn shook in fear before composing herself, war was not what she thought it would be. "I'll see if Aragorn needs some comforting and you desperately need some too. I think I saw my brother head over that direction."
Instead of seeking out Éomer she found herself seeking out Théoden. The King was sitting on his throne, but no one could call him comfortable. He rested his head on his hand and watched the commotion in front of him. "I am not young anymore and he will be a king soon." His eyes were focused on Éomer and he seemed deep in though.
Her eyes followed his to Éomer. He was surrounded by his soldiers, and it seemed he was engaged in some sort of a competition of strength. Andromeda turned towards Théoden, a faint smile on her lips "He deserves better than to be a King but even then, he will carry that burden with grace, wisdom, and kindness. I do not envy him."
He returned her smile, his eyes as tired as he looked. "He'll need someone by his side."
She tilted her head slightly as she scanned the halls. "They will find him a suitable wife."
Théoden looked at her in utter amusement. "He will not accept any of them, now that he has known you."
Taken aback she took a large sip of her wine to cover her face, she spoke whist her lips were hidden. "I do not… We do not. Besides, I am not interested in marriage again."
He chuckled softly to her reaction, her youth coming across in the way she hid herself. "Sometimes I forget how young you are, how young he is. Love is a good thing Andromeda." He then dismissed her, though his smile remained. "Go be young. Go be in love."
Each love is unique her mother had said to her once, and Andromeda had never fully understood till she met Éomer. Her mother loved each person she met even if it was for moment. Each love was different to her but non greater than the one she had for Heitor. Andromeda wondered to herself as she slowly made her way towards Éomer and his soldiers. She wondered if she could carry the burden of love again, love that lasted longer than a gaze or a stolen kiss. She wondered if she was brave enough to risk losing it all again because these people, not just Éomer but all of them she loved deeply and different and all could die without a moment's notice.
Gods asked too much of her at times and love…
Love was a beast she did not know how to conquer.
Perhaps Aragorn was right, and they were all going to die but she thought to herself that this was a good place to die. If she were to die in this moment, her heart would be filled with the sound of Merry and Pippin singing, Éomer laughing, and Gimli telling a crude joke to Legolas just to see him go red. If she had to die, for the first time in her life she'd choose to die at home than a battlefield.
Éomer must have noticed her get lost in her head, he placed his hand on her back and moved her towards a table full of goblets. Gimli, Legolas, and few other soldiers she knew had been lined up. "Join us." He murmured to her ear.
She smiled, trying to remember the last time she participated in a drinking contest. They joined the crowd and she stood between Éomer and Legolas. Both men aware of her melancholic thoughts yet helpless to remedy them. Instead Éomer gave her a tankard that was filled to the brim.
Éomer relayed the rules. "No pauses, no spills…"
Gimli interrupted him, "and no regurgitation!"
Legolas had a tankard of his own, he looked down to it and had a slight smile on his lips. "So, it's a drinking game?"
Rohirrim shouted at once. "AYE!"
Gimli raised his slightly, and winked at her mischievously. "Last one standing wins!" Then he cackled before he started to drink.
One of the man proposed a toast that they all echoed. "Let's drink to victory!"
"To victory!"
Gimli had finished his first tankard before they all started to drink. Perhaps it was cheating but they were all too merry to care and they had catching up to do.
Legolas drank slower than the rest of them. Few of the Rohirrim had already halved their tankards, and she was not too far behind. The bitterness of the mead burned her throat, but she paid no mind to it, she loved drinking her sorrows with no thought and she loved being part of this. A country such as theirs was rooted deeply in tradition yet they made room for them. If this was going to be home, she knew she was accepted even if they found her strange beyond reason.
Onto her second tankard and then third, she knew she was still behind compared to Gimli and the men of Rohan. She felt Éomer's hand on the small of her back, and he brought calmness to her. Andromeda replaced her tankard and heard Gimli let out a fart.
She paused in astonishment and whispered to herself. "Hera!"
Éomer nudged her slowly to get her attention back to the contest, considering there was a no pause clause in the rules.
Gimli was laughing by himself now, thought they all watched him amusement. It was becoming clear as the night that he was drunk. "Rarrr! It's the dwarves that go swimming with little, hairy women…" He boasted though none of them really understood him. Then he burped before he continued drinking.
Legolas lifted his hand in front of his face, looking at the tips of his fingers. "I feel something." His admission drew everyone's attention. Éomer raised his eyebrow in curiosity, waiting to see what would happen next. "A slight tingle in my fingers." He looked at them in concern. "I think… it's effecting me."
Éomer leaned in closer from behind, his breath ticking her ear as he intensely watched what would happen.
Gimli grinned in delight and vindication. "What did I say! He can't hold his liquor." He declared in his slurred speech, then his eyes went cross and he grew silent before falling backwards off his stood.
Legolas turned to look at them, his eyes carried humour but his voice dry. "Game over."
Not able to contain her laugher, Andromeda sputtered her mead as she laughed. Knowing Legolas, he probably conned Gimli into this mess and played him like a true master. Éomer took her tankard away and gave her something to clean herself with.
He had seen many nights like this, laughter masking sorrow and merriment used to erase the stench of death from their souls. He loved it though because it brought them hope, it made them feel safe, and reminded them that they were alive even for a day. To have these outsiders he had come to consider brothers at arms, and to have her, Andromeda, with him made the night feel more real. Hope felt real for the first time in a very long time.
Éomer grabbed her by the arm, a smile plastered all over his face as he pulled her towards a group of dancing people. "Dance with me." He plead with her, and his eyes softened when he saw the temporary panic on her face.
Andromeda looked at the people that were already dancing to music. Their dances were strange to her, but her heart did want to be led by him. She wanted to trust again.
He grinned, "Follow my lead."
She let him pull her into the crowd and decided to make a fool of herself as she did her best to follow the steps. There was a lot of clapping, turning, and stomping in their dancing. For the most part she got everything wrong and she found herself laughing and people around her encouraging her. Éomer did his best to lead, but he got his steps wrong ever so often because she distracted him. He watched her with softness in his eyes, and every time she laughed his heart soared. How could someone so tragic laugh like an explosion?
They danced for two more songs, then collapse at a near by table. She rested her head on the wooden surface, trying to even her breathing. "Oh, I think I need a break."
Éomer laughed softly and poured her a goblet of cold water. "Drink this."
Instead of drinking it right away, she pressed the cold metal of the goblet to her cheeks. "Fuck, that was exhilarating. I haven't danced like that since the elves. Thank you."
He combed out some of her hair out of the way and smiled at her warmly. "You were amazing." He closed his eyes and thought back to the first night she had danced for them. "I fucking love seeing you dance."
Andromeda finished her goblet, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and stood up. "Come on then, I have one more song in me, but then you have to take me out to see the stars."
Éomer would gladly take her to anywhere she wanted to go. He took her hand and led her back to the group of dancers. Merry and Pippin were still singing and when they saw the couple they waved, and both responded in kind. He placed his hands on her waist and they started another fast-paced dance.
He lifted her up a few times, they turned until they were both dizzy, and at one point they even switched partners. She found herself dancing with one of Théoden's generals, he was an elderly man but a delightful dancing partner.
"I haven't seen that kid dance in one of these before. He must be really smitten." He gave her that mischievous grin only the old wise men could. His eyes shining as he looked towards his wife. "Met her in a dance much like this, fifty something years ago, never thought she'd marry a fool like me."
Andromeda chuckled softly, it was so clear the love the two shared, and she wondered if she would be like him if she had fifty some years with her husband. "I met my husband on a sand filled gymnasium and he begged for an ass kicking. He was a fool too, but I loved him anyway."
"He died from what I've been told." He smiled at her with sympathy when she shook her head. "Éomer is no fool but he is still a good kid. He's got a good head on his shoulders, a kind heart, and he's easy on the eyes from what my daughters tell me." He chuckled in amusement as she searched for Éomer in the crowd.
Her eyes settled on their topic of conversation and she smiled absentmindedly. "Are you hinting at something old man?" Her voice was gentle, and it showed she had taken a liking to him.
He shrugged. "Just something to think about I suppose."
Before she could say anything else, they switched partners again, and it took her one more switch to return to her original partner. Soon the music died down and Éomer pulled her away from the crowd so that he could take her to the stars as promised.
As discreet as two drunks can be, they snuck out of the party into the King's corridor. Through a secret passage they came out to another corridor. Éomer explaining that this was how the King would escape or soldiers be discreetly mobilised in case of an emergency. Towards the end of the corridor was a ladder leading to a hatch. From the hatch they made it to the roof.
She shivered when the wind hit her, she was sweaty and that made her feel the cold in her spine. Éomer pulled her close to himself and rapidly ran his arms up and down hers to create warmth. "I should have thought to bring us some blankets."
Andromeda laughed and turned her focus to the stars above them. "Let's lie down somewhere." She pulled at him towards a higher part of the roof.
They laid down side by side and watched the stars in silence. Andromeda had always loved the stars and during summer the entire family would sleep on the rooftop. She remembered watching stars and falling asleep to her mother's lullabies or her father's war stories. She remembered drinking warm milk with honey and wishing upon every falling star. She wished to be a star one day, she wished for Zeus to lift her up to the skies and make her immortal amongst them, like the twins Castor and Pollux who were loved by all of Sparta. Brothers to beautiful Helen and ambitious Clytemnestra. Golden princes of Sparta. Like them, she too wished to be constellation.
Éomer watched her more than he did the stars. She looked serene under the moon light, calm, and almost at peace as she watched the stars. He could tell that she was in deep thought by the way she chewed on her bottom lip absentmindedly. "Do the stars still mock you my lady?" He asked in a whisper, echoing a conversation from a long ago.
Delighted she turned towards him, a smile etched to her lips that was both dreamy and earthly. "No more. I am home now."
Meeting of their lips was a sweet embrace, and she could taste in him all the good she thought she had lost years ago. There was peace to be found in him and she kissed him the same way a dying man savoured his last meal. Éomer tasted of hope, home, and love she was willing accept but not ready to proclaim out loud.
In her he tasted of fire, something so alive yet filled with ashes. He allowed himself to be pulled into her like the tides of an ocean yearning for the moon. Their kiss deepened as she slowly lowered her body on top of his. His hands caressed her cheeks, her shoulders, and then he held her by the waist to steady her but refused to move further. Her hair was unbraided that night and it fell over them like a cascade, she smelled of earth and blood. Éomer laughed as her hair tickled his face, he gently moved it away and looked at her face as though the night above them could not hold a candle to her beauty.
Éomer knew this person in his arms was broken, scarred, and held together by sheer power of will and spite. He knew her to be crude, vile, and even cruel equally he also knew her to be kind, compassionate, and vulnerable at times.
For a moment all they did was to stare each other in various states of awe and curiosity. Éomer reached for a second kiss, and she met him half-way. This time they were more self-aware compared to their first kiss and Andromeda noticed how chapped both their lips were, and she could taste faint remains of iron from dried blood, and the ale they had before. His beard felt rough against her skin, not that she was soft or unscarred herself, and she thought it felt nice.
Once she pulled from the kiss, she held his eyes in hers. "Never knew home would taste like you."
"Never knew you'd be waxing poetics about me." He grinned, helpless against her beauty and his desire to tease her.
She rolled off of him, grinning just as he. "I guess fuck me for trying to express myself."
He laughed and she thought it was the liveliest of sounds. In silence they returned to watching the sky and although there was not a single cloud in sight, they knew evil was brewing, and soon a storm would take them over.
So, for now, as long as they had this night, they would live for it.
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