Chapter Six
Lothiriel sat calmly mending a shirt her nephew had torn early that day. It was much easier to fix this herself rather than hunt down a seamstress; especially the way Alphros went through clothes these days. Lothiriel sighed as the thread formed a knot behind the fabric and cursed under her breath. She was never any good at sewing, and even though she had been taught at a very young age, she had never had the patience or the proper instruction to become very good at it.
"Little sister?" Erchirion approached her, his face serious.
Lothiriel looked up and smiled, motioning her brother to sit. "Alphros is down for a nap. The little one ripped another shirt this morning." She said, holding up her work.
He smiled, "How many does that make?"
"This week? Five times." Lothiriel said with a small chuckle. She then looked at her brother, "I know that look, there is something that troubles you, what is it?"
He paused, studying her face, "Actually I was wondering if there was something that troubled you, Lothiriel."
She stared at him quizzically, "I am well brother, what makes you ask?"
"Your were crying when you were with King Eomer." He pointed out.
Lothiriel paused, thinking of a response. She then shrugged, looking at her sewing. "I was merely out of sorts, brother. Does a woman not have the right to be out of sorts every now and then?"
Erchirion's brow furrowed, but he nodded. "Are you sure?"
She laughed, "Of course!"
He then gave her a very serious look, "Lothiriel, I want you to stay away from King Eomer." He ordered.
She raised her eyes to meet her brother's. "What?"
"I do not like the way he looks at you, sister." He said firmly.
Lothiriel glared at her brother, "You can't order me to stay away from him. He has done nothing wrong."
"He approached you alone in the library this morning! Do you know what that looks like?" Erchirion struggled to keep from shouting.
Lothiriel raised an eyebrow, "I was troubled, and he was making sure I was well. He was only being kind."
Erchirion snorted, "Oh and he was only too quick to put his arms around you."
Lothiriel jumped to her feet, glaring. "You are being ridiculous! I will not following your stupid orders!" She turned on her heels and stormed off, angry with her brother for being so stupid.
Erchirion watched her leave aghast at her behavior. Eomer was a bad influence on her, he decided, even though she had always been stubborn. He would have to bring his other brothers in on this new problem. Lothiriel would stay away from Eomer, even if he had to lock her in her room.
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"Eomer King, would you mind staying for a moment, I have another matter to discuss with you." Elphir asked the young King as he rose to leave. They had just finished discussing the battle plans for the morning. Elphir had noted the change in attitude of Erchirion towards Eomer during the meeting. When they had first arrived Erchirion had been very friendly with the King, laughing and tell him jokes, now it was all he could do to keep from pounding his face in. Erchirion had come to Elphir and Amrothos and told him of his fears with Eomer and Lothiriel. Amrothos had reacted quite uncharacteristically, wanting to lock Lothiriel in her chamber until the King was several miles from Dol Amroth, on his way home. Elphir however, had been the voice of reason.
Eomer turned and nodded, "Of course." He glanced at Erchirion, who was giving him a dirty glare.
Elphir noticed this and smiled at his two younger brothers, "You two may go. I would like to speak with King Eomer alone."
They both hesitated, and then left the room, both glaring at Eomer as if he were an Orc that had killed their best friend.
When they were gone Elphir motioned for Eomer to sit back down. "Would you like another drink your Highness? I have some excellent whiskey that I dare not bring out in front of my brothers for fear they would drink it all."
Eomer smiled, "If you are offering."
Elphir pulled out his flask and handed it to Eomer, who took a drink. "This is excellent whiskey." He commented, handing the flask back to Elphir.
Elphir grinned, "Thank you." He then took a drink. "So, what do you think of my sister, my Lord?" He asked casually.
Eomer sighed, "You've been speaking with Erchirion I take it."
Elphir nodded, "Yes." He smiled. "Erchirion and Amrothos want me to locked Lothiriel in her room until you leave Dol Amroth. They say if I don't my sister's honor is a stake. So tell me, Eomer, King of the Mark, what are your intentions?"
Eomer met the heir to the Princedom's eyes, "Nothing but honorable, I assure you." He said. "Your sister, she fascinates me. I barely know her and yet..." He trailed off, and then sighed.
Elphir regarded the young King with a kind look, "She is a very special woman." He finished for him. "And I am afraid that we are all a bit too protective of her. Especially Erchirion. Those two have always been close." He laughed a bit, "You do not want to know what happened to the last man who had eyes for my sister. Poor lad did not get up for a week."
Eomer laughed, "I understand, I remember how I felt when my sister married Lord Faramir." He said with a sigh. "I had nothing against the man, and yet when he took my sister's hand I wanted nothing more than to throw him out the door into the streets."
Elphir laughed, "Yes, it is taking a lot of will power and whiskey on my part to be talking with you right now." He sighed, "But, my brothers and I have to face the fact that Lothiriel is a grown woman, who can make her own choices." He smiled at the King. "And if she must see a man, I suppose you are honorable enough to see her."
Eomer smiled, "Thank you."
"Mind you I said see her, not marry her!" Elphir teased. "That is another matter entirely! A matter that I do not hope to discuss for a long time!"
Eomer bowed, still smiling. "I understand, goodnight my Lord."
"Goodnight your Highness." Elphir replied, watching as Eomer turned to leave the room, sizing him up. He seemed to be a good man, kind enough, with a since of humor. Elphir still did not like the thought of him with his sister, but he supposed he never would. He sighed, wishing his Father weren't camped outside the city so he could deal with this and not Elphir. Although, Elphir imagined Eomer would have a much easier time with Imrahil than with Erchirion.
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A/N - Hehe! Aww.... bonding time! Hehe! Review please! I love reviews! And thank you so much to those who reviewed! I'll send you cookies in the mail!
Lothiriel sat calmly mending a shirt her nephew had torn early that day. It was much easier to fix this herself rather than hunt down a seamstress; especially the way Alphros went through clothes these days. Lothiriel sighed as the thread formed a knot behind the fabric and cursed under her breath. She was never any good at sewing, and even though she had been taught at a very young age, she had never had the patience or the proper instruction to become very good at it.
"Little sister?" Erchirion approached her, his face serious.
Lothiriel looked up and smiled, motioning her brother to sit. "Alphros is down for a nap. The little one ripped another shirt this morning." She said, holding up her work.
He smiled, "How many does that make?"
"This week? Five times." Lothiriel said with a small chuckle. She then looked at her brother, "I know that look, there is something that troubles you, what is it?"
He paused, studying her face, "Actually I was wondering if there was something that troubled you, Lothiriel."
She stared at him quizzically, "I am well brother, what makes you ask?"
"Your were crying when you were with King Eomer." He pointed out.
Lothiriel paused, thinking of a response. She then shrugged, looking at her sewing. "I was merely out of sorts, brother. Does a woman not have the right to be out of sorts every now and then?"
Erchirion's brow furrowed, but he nodded. "Are you sure?"
She laughed, "Of course!"
He then gave her a very serious look, "Lothiriel, I want you to stay away from King Eomer." He ordered.
She raised her eyes to meet her brother's. "What?"
"I do not like the way he looks at you, sister." He said firmly.
Lothiriel glared at her brother, "You can't order me to stay away from him. He has done nothing wrong."
"He approached you alone in the library this morning! Do you know what that looks like?" Erchirion struggled to keep from shouting.
Lothiriel raised an eyebrow, "I was troubled, and he was making sure I was well. He was only being kind."
Erchirion snorted, "Oh and he was only too quick to put his arms around you."
Lothiriel jumped to her feet, glaring. "You are being ridiculous! I will not following your stupid orders!" She turned on her heels and stormed off, angry with her brother for being so stupid.
Erchirion watched her leave aghast at her behavior. Eomer was a bad influence on her, he decided, even though she had always been stubborn. He would have to bring his other brothers in on this new problem. Lothiriel would stay away from Eomer, even if he had to lock her in her room.
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"Eomer King, would you mind staying for a moment, I have another matter to discuss with you." Elphir asked the young King as he rose to leave. They had just finished discussing the battle plans for the morning. Elphir had noted the change in attitude of Erchirion towards Eomer during the meeting. When they had first arrived Erchirion had been very friendly with the King, laughing and tell him jokes, now it was all he could do to keep from pounding his face in. Erchirion had come to Elphir and Amrothos and told him of his fears with Eomer and Lothiriel. Amrothos had reacted quite uncharacteristically, wanting to lock Lothiriel in her chamber until the King was several miles from Dol Amroth, on his way home. Elphir however, had been the voice of reason.
Eomer turned and nodded, "Of course." He glanced at Erchirion, who was giving him a dirty glare.
Elphir noticed this and smiled at his two younger brothers, "You two may go. I would like to speak with King Eomer alone."
They both hesitated, and then left the room, both glaring at Eomer as if he were an Orc that had killed their best friend.
When they were gone Elphir motioned for Eomer to sit back down. "Would you like another drink your Highness? I have some excellent whiskey that I dare not bring out in front of my brothers for fear they would drink it all."
Eomer smiled, "If you are offering."
Elphir pulled out his flask and handed it to Eomer, who took a drink. "This is excellent whiskey." He commented, handing the flask back to Elphir.
Elphir grinned, "Thank you." He then took a drink. "So, what do you think of my sister, my Lord?" He asked casually.
Eomer sighed, "You've been speaking with Erchirion I take it."
Elphir nodded, "Yes." He smiled. "Erchirion and Amrothos want me to locked Lothiriel in her room until you leave Dol Amroth. They say if I don't my sister's honor is a stake. So tell me, Eomer, King of the Mark, what are your intentions?"
Eomer met the heir to the Princedom's eyes, "Nothing but honorable, I assure you." He said. "Your sister, she fascinates me. I barely know her and yet..." He trailed off, and then sighed.
Elphir regarded the young King with a kind look, "She is a very special woman." He finished for him. "And I am afraid that we are all a bit too protective of her. Especially Erchirion. Those two have always been close." He laughed a bit, "You do not want to know what happened to the last man who had eyes for my sister. Poor lad did not get up for a week."
Eomer laughed, "I understand, I remember how I felt when my sister married Lord Faramir." He said with a sigh. "I had nothing against the man, and yet when he took my sister's hand I wanted nothing more than to throw him out the door into the streets."
Elphir laughed, "Yes, it is taking a lot of will power and whiskey on my part to be talking with you right now." He sighed, "But, my brothers and I have to face the fact that Lothiriel is a grown woman, who can make her own choices." He smiled at the King. "And if she must see a man, I suppose you are honorable enough to see her."
Eomer smiled, "Thank you."
"Mind you I said see her, not marry her!" Elphir teased. "That is another matter entirely! A matter that I do not hope to discuss for a long time!"
Eomer bowed, still smiling. "I understand, goodnight my Lord."
"Goodnight your Highness." Elphir replied, watching as Eomer turned to leave the room, sizing him up. He seemed to be a good man, kind enough, with a since of humor. Elphir still did not like the thought of him with his sister, but he supposed he never would. He sighed, wishing his Father weren't camped outside the city so he could deal with this and not Elphir. Although, Elphir imagined Eomer would have a much easier time with Imrahil than with Erchirion.
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A/N - Hehe! Aww.... bonding time! Hehe! Review please! I love reviews! And thank you so much to those who reviewed! I'll send you cookies in the mail!