…in which our hero is smitten…
Since he was a small child, this had always been his favorite time of day. The stillness before the world awoke, the crispness of the cool dawn air, the feeling of a clean, fresh start, even in the midst of battle. And, after he'd lost both his parents, it was the one tiny part of each day when the earth stood still, and, if he closed his eyes and just let go, he could still hear his father's voice and feel his mother's embrace. He opened his eyes slowly and inhaled deeply, breathing in the crisp air that had just the slightest chill to warrant the light cloak thrown haphazardly over his shoulders. Without any clear direction or destination in mind, Eomer set off down the corridor away from his room to explore the opulent stone palace, taking advantage of the early morning tranquility to collect his thoughts.
When Imrahil had extended the invitation to visit Dol Amroth, he'd accepted without hesitation, eager to visit his new brothers he'd befriended on the battlefield. And though he would never admit it aloud, a large part of him agreed to the long journey to see the Princess Lothiriel again and explore where that may lead. His lips quirked up in a smile as his thoughts inevitably drifted to the young princess. He'd been captivated when they met at his sister's wedding at Edoras earlier in the year and was eager to renew the acquaintance. The tiny, wisp of a girl proved to be formidable despite her youth and small stature, and, truth be told, Eomer was smitten. From the handful of interactions they'd had and the several dances he'd been sure to claim, she was clearly someone he wouldn't mind pursuing. Certainly she was beautiful, though he had encountered enough beautiful ladies in his years to know not to let his head be turned by that alone. Having grown up in a family of men, Lothiriel had learned to voice her opinions with confidence and authority, though she spoke with the quiet poise and tact that seemed foreign to most men. And he'd seen first hand her ability to quietly maneuver a conversation and decision to her favor with the other party being none the wiser, a quality Eomer acknowledged to be well-suited for the next Queen of Rohan. Then just last night, Eomer was seated next to her at dinner, where she did not hesitate to interject between himself, Faramir, and Lord something-or-other in a discussion over new trade agreements to rebuild following the devastating losses of the War. A lady so well-spoken on the operations of running a nation and able to carry herself with such poise and knowledge in these conversations was a refreshing contrast to all the other ladies of the court determined to throw themselves at the young king at every turn. And Eomer noted with not a small amount of ire he wasn't the only one who had his head turned, as several other men watched Lothiriel throughout the evening with sheer masculine appreciation in their eyes, their gazes hungry. His blood boiled, and he wanted nothing more than to carry her off with him away from her other admirers so that he might determine whether the attraction and admiration were reciprocated.
He came to an abrupt stop, and a smile curved his lips, as he realized he wasn't alone at this early hour. For there, at the end of the corridor, was none other than the princess herself. She was perched on the wide sill of a large window that overlooked the sea below completely at ease, without a care in the world in a way that told him this was a long-standing habit of hers. Feeling a bit of an interloper, he took the opportunity to study her uninterrupted. This Lothiriel was such a drastic contrast from the poised, polished princess he had danced with the night prior. This Lothiriel was adorably disheveled, her hair unbound and falling in long dark waves over her shoulders, one leg stretched out along the windowsill, the other dangling down, her bare foot nearly brushing the floor. Thoroughly engrossed in the book she held in her lap, she had no inkling her solitude had been quietly interrupted. He felt almost guilty at this intimate glimpse into her privacy, yet he found he couldn't look away. The early morning sun beaming in through the large window bathed her in an ethereal glow and made her that much more enticing. Although he thoroughly enjoyed the interactions he'd had with the properly charming Princess, he found that he preferred this just-tumbled-out-of-bed version even more. However, one thing he did know was that his blatant flirtations last night had been decidedly one-sided, the princess either too young or too polite to be aware, and he realized he was anxious to change that.
With a yawn, she stretched her arms above her, her back arching in a deep stretch, before hopping off the ledge. Without glancing his way, she moved to walk down the corridor away from him, her head once again buried in the book, and he made a split-second decision. Taking a few steps towards her, he spoke with a raised voice to ensure it carried over her distracted thoughts. "Good morning, my lady."
She gasped loudly and spun around in shock, one hand touching her chest and the other still clasped around her book, and he felt a tiny bit of guilt at giving her a fright. When she realized who he was, her eyes widened impossibly more.
"Forgive me for startling you, Princess." His lips quirked in amusement, his gaze openly admiring. "That must be quite a book to have captured your attention so thoroughly."
"My lord!" she stammered, clearly distressed. "I did not expect —! That is, there's never anyone out at this time of day, and -." She glanced helplessly down at her state of dress, in slight mortification, and his gaze followed hers, albeit significantly slower, as his eyes swept from her dark, unbound waves, to the gauziness of her white, billowy nightdress, all the way down to her bare toes just peeking out from beneath the hem. His eyes rose back to meet hers, a teasing smile playing on his lips.
"Beware, Princess. For there are unsavory characters lurking in dark corners at this hour, ready to pounce on beautiful, young maidens and force them to submit to their dastardly deeds."
His smile grew as he saw his comment produced the desired effect, as her lips curved in a shy smile that broke into a low laugh. "How fortunate am I to have been spotted by you then, with neither devious thought nor intention." And just like that, her wit and cleverness returned.
"I don't recall saying anything about not having the thoughts." He leaned towards her intimately as she blinked in confusion. "You see, the difference lies in having the discipline to know when and where to act upon such thoughts." His piercing green eyes bore into hers until he was certain there was no longer any chance of misunderstanding, and her cheeks flushed prettily.
She blinked up at him, wide-eyed. "Are you flirting with me, sir?"
His laugh rumbled deep and low, and she couldn't help but smile back in response. "If you must ask, then I don't suppose I'm doing it very well. You will simply have to allow me to continue to practice on you." He gave her a wink, an action she found both charming and unnerving at the same time, and the heat of a blush rose into her cheeks again, which only succeeded in widening his grin. "I must warn you though," he continued, "my men and I seldom sleep past dawn, and I shall be quite put out should any of them have the fortune to stumble upon you in this state. In fact," his eyes narrowed as he looked past her shoulder, and Lothiriel could most certainly hear a group of Rohirrim heading their direction.
She glanced behind her in dismay before her eyes flashed back to him helplessly. Without another word, he closed the distance between them and, in one motion, whipped his cloak off, wrapping it around her shoulders clasping it tightly under her chin. The cloak completely enveloped her, hiding her state of undress from prying eyes, pooling on the ground around her feet. He was so much taller than her, she had to crane her neck to look up at him, and he couldn't help himself. His thumb brushed lightly along her jaw, and he could feel her shiver. His touch fluttered over the plumpness of her bottom lip, and her breath caught. Blue eyes drowned in green. Holding onto his self control, he took a deep breath, forced himself to drop his hand, and stepped back. "Go," he urged in a whisper, gesturing to the corridor he just came from.
His eyes followed her as she took a few quick steps away from him but then suddenly paused. She stood there with her back to him for several silent moments, and his brows furled in confusion. In a flash, she whipped around, dashed back and pressed up against him, standing on her toes to reach up and place a quick kiss on the corner of his lips. She pulled back quickly, her cheeks bright red and whispered a quick "thank you" before running off again in a blur, his cloak billowing behind her. He blinked in surprise, it being the last thing he expected from the tiny princess, before his lips curled up in a huge grin, and he turned to continue his morning stroll, while whistling a jaunty tune.
Not an hour later, Eomer entered the large open hall dubbed the Sun Room where breakfast was served. Where should have been walls there were only several large stone pillars, the room intentionally left open to overlook the crashing surf below and to let in the cool ocean breeze. To his delight, the only other occupants in the room were the two younger princes of Dol Amroth and their sister, once again looking like the princess he danced with the night before. Perfectly poised, perfectly perfect, now dressed in a gown of rich blue silk with intricate silver embroidery, her hair swept into some sort of complicated plait thrown loosely over her right shoulder, and his fingers itched to undo it slowly to leave it unbound again. He'd walked in just in time to see his princess glare at her older brothers and roll her eyes before walking purposefully to the other end of the large table and sitting far away from them. With an amused smile, he nodded a greeting to Amrothos and Erchirion before pulling out the chair next to the princess. Lothiriel glanced up with surprise - and dare he hope joy? - as her bright blue eyes lit up upon seeing him. As he folded his tall body into the stout wooden chair, he turned to her with a secret smile. "Good morning, Princess. I trust you slept well?"
His heart swelled at the amused smile she returned. "Yes, thank you, Sir. And I hope you are enjoying your visit thus far?"
He took his time loading his plate with fried eggs and sausages, weighing his words before responding. "Extremely so," he started. "I found myself at liberty this morning and took the opportunity to explore the palace at leisure." He paused and gave her a meaningful look. "I was thoroughly enchanted with what I found."
There was a smile playing on her lips as she responded, her eyes lit up with mischief. "You should be careful, sir, of dark corners so early in the morning."
He laughed out loud at her quick wit, drawing a laugh of her own as she took another bite of her breakfast. He glanced surreptitiously at her brothers at the end of the table, making sure they were well occupied. Keeping one eye on them, he leaned in to whisper in her ear, making sure to brush his lips against the sensitive lobe, and he relished her sharp intake of breath as he murmured, "Rest assured that, the next time I have the pleasure of seeing you at dawn, I will be doing my absolute best to convince you to join me in one of those dark corners."
He pulled back to find her cheeks flushed, eyes peeking up at him shyly, and it was all he could do to not pull her into his arms then and there. "You must think yourself rather convincing," she teased.
His smile became absolutely devilish, transforming his face to what he'd heard the ladies call devastatingly handsome. "I assure you I can be extremely convincing when I wish to be," he murmured with a brazen wink that made her cheeks turn pink again.
"Eomer!" His name was called out in a tone of warning he himself had often used as an older brother addressing his sister's potential suitors, but rather than being intimidated, he found himself amused. "Would you care to share the details of the scintillating conversation you're currently having with our sister?"
His eyes lit in mischief. Without looking away from her, he called out, "Of course. The Lady Lothiriel has just offered me a tour of the city this morning." His brow raised in challenge, daring her to contradict him.
She blinked in surprise, and he had the distinct impression that she'd just rolled her eyes at him as she turned back to the plate in front of her. "Loth?" Erchirion called out for confirmation.
She took her time to cut a small piece of melon, placed it delicately into her mouth, and chewed thoughtfully. Eomer found he couldn't look away, his eyes following her every movement, ending, and staying, on her lips, and for just a brief moment, he wondered if he'd been overconfident. Finally, she glanced towards her brothers. "The king has asked to see the harbor. Perhaps we might go for a sail this afternoon."
She turned back and met his challenging gaze directly, and he broke into a blinding grin. He knew two things with certainty now. She was clearly aware of his interest, and it was most definitely no longer one-sided.