It had been a week since Elessar and his band of relatives, friends and
loyal soldiers followed him out of the gates of Edoras. As king, Eomer was
obligated to bid his guests a formal farewell on the steps of Meduseheld.
Much pageantry and formality ensued. Eomer always felt clumsy at court
events with all the bowing and saluting and speeches that usually occur.
His formal goodbye consisted of a short speech, and a stately wave as his
guests passed through the city.
The night before, however, Eomer visited each of his guests in their rooms to bid them a more intimate farewell. Many tears were shed between the king and Eowyn, and he reassured her many times that while her heart resided with Faramir in Ithilien, she would always hold a place in Meduseheld, as well as a place within the hearts of the people of Rohan.
Aragorn and Arwen thanked Eomer for the time that he spent with them during their stay and both sovereigns assured him that he was indeed fit to be king. This reassurance and friendship with the king and queen of Gondor was worth more than the entire contents of Edoras' treasury to Eomer.
As the night wore on, Eomer approached his final stop for the night: The north wing of Meduseheld. The north wing was comprised of six rooms and a few balconies separating them. This was where Imrahil and his children had been staying during their time in Edoras. Eomer had always said goodnight to Lothiriel at the main doors to the wing. Ever since their first talk in the library, the young king and the princess of Dol Amroth had been spending a lot of time together. Now that Eomer realized she was leaving, perhaps never to return again, he felt he needed to say goodbye to her properly and make her promise to write.
"Absolutely ridiculous for the king of this house to be feeling anxious at the entrance to a part of his own home! I'm no better than a blushing maid." Eomer cursed himself. His hands were sweaty, and the only sound he could hear was the incessant beating of his heart. With a deep breath he opened the doors to the north wing and looked around. Most of the doors were closed, and by process of elimination, Eomer knew that at least one of the rooms was unoccupied. He knocked on the first door and it was opened by Erchiron. Eomer sighed with relief, albeit very quietly and proceeded as planned.
By the time Eomer got to Lothiriel's room, he discovered that not only was he no longer nervous, but felt like he had the entire royal family of Dol Amroth blessing his choice to be friends with their beloved princess. He knocked on her door and there was no answer. He thought that it was rather late and that the princess probably was asleep. But he could feel cold air rushing underneath the door and when he tried the knob, it was unlocked. Going against what he knew to be proper behavior, he opened the door to Lothiriel's room.
The room was empty and the bedsheets had been used to make a rope which led out of Meduseheld, and adjacent to the stables. There was a note on the dresser addressed to Imrahil and her brothers, and a letter beside it in an envelope addressed to Eomer. The note meant for Imrahil read:
Dear Father, Elphir, Erchirion and Amrothos:
I have gotten word that my friend Yanniel in Dol Amroth has come down with a dreadful fever and may die soon. I wanted to be at her side should she die, and to do that I had to leave Edoras in a hurry. Please apologize to the king and queen for my rudeness, and to my cousin and his wife for not escorting them to their new home and helping them celebrate moving in. Most of all, tell King Eomer that I am sorry I left so soon without thanking him for having me in his home. Tell him that I am sorry we did not have a proper goodbye and I will truly miss his company when I arrive home. Please give him this letter and have him send one to me as soon as it is possible. Please do not be too angry with me. I may be a princess and a lady, but I am a friend as well. Yanniel is like a sister to me and I would never leave her in Dol Amroth to die alone. I love you all.
Lothiriel
Eomer was shocked and sympathetic all at the same time. He couldn't believe that Lothiriel, a princess who could not lift a sword or shield had packed her things and escaped from a heavily guarded city in the middle of the night on horseback, alone, to travel four or five days without escort just to be at the bedside of a dying friend. He was amazed by her loyalty to her friend and hoped that she might hold him in that same regard someday.
He knew, all too well, what it meant to lose someone that means so much. Most recently, it had been Theoden and Theodred. While he had known Eomund before his death, Eomer always regarded Theoden as his father- figure. It had been Theoden who watched over him after Eomund was killed and it was Theoden who held Eomer and Eowyn in his lap when Theodwyn died.
The king's mind was poisoned when his son died. Eomer had carried his cousin's lifeless body back from the battle and stayed at Theodred's side up until he was banished from Rohan. Theodred was a brother to Eomer, someone he had always looked up to. Eomer tried hard to save the prince's life, but it didn't work. The young king bore no ill will to Lothiriel for her descision. If he was in her position. Eomer would probably do exactly what she had done.
He was, however, extremely curious to read what was in the letter that Lothiriel had written to him. His curiosity could have gotten the best of him, but he decided it best to let Imrahil and his sons sleep, and let them discover Lothiriel's absence in the morning. It wasn't very responsible, but Eomer decided it would give Lothiriel a head start before her father and brothers could find her. It would also keep the rest of Dol Amroth's royalty from spending a sleepless night worrying. All of middle earth had had enough sleepless nights for one age. Of course there was much commotion in the morning, and the formal goodbyes didn't last long. Eomer prayed that Lothiriel had gotten to her friend in time, and perhaps the Valar had granted her friend another chance at life and cured her of the fever.
It was with relief that Eomer finally opened the letter addressed to him.
Dear Eomer,
My friend, I have gotten word that another friend of mine is ill and may be dying at home in Dol Amroth. Though it would be the proper behavior of a princess to remain with her lord and send a letter or flowers to a sick friend, I bear more love and loyalty to my friend than that and I had to leave Edoras to be at her side. I hope you are not angry with me.
I hope this to be the first of many letters that I write to you, and I hope that you will find time in your busy schedule to write to me as well. I do miss you, very much, even though I have not even left Edoras yet.
The time I spent with you and talking to you was truly the most entertaining out of the many activities I participated in. Though I did not imagine that I, princess of Dol Amroth and the Lady of the Swan Knights would ever have anything in common with a King of Rohan and former warrior and hero of the war. But it seems that you and I have had similar pasts, and we seem to be of the same mindset. That's why we get along so well.
With that said, I have a confession to make. We are still friends no matter what you think of me after this, but I think you are truly handsome Eomer. I was awestruck when I first met you. We don't see many people with gold hair in Gondor, though I must say that the color suits you. I would be lying if I said I never tried to sneak to your private training sessions to watch you do what you do best. And it would be wrong for me to say that I didn't enjoy dancing with you at Midwinter, because I did.
Now that I have thoroughly embarrassed myself, and I have the King of Rohan thinking that this princess is nothing more than a bumbling little wench, I will end this letter. I pray that you will write to me soon.
Your Friend, Lothiriel
Eomer chuckled to himself. "Sneaking to my training sessions? I wonder what Imrahil would say if he knew. Oh Lothiriel, how you confuse me. She doesn't do it on purpose, but it seems like maybe I had it in me to dislike her before I met her because she was forced upon me. But now I see this whole court dilemma as a gift. I must write to Aragorn and thank him for his compromise."
Eomer folded the letter and placed it in a box on his desk and pulled a fresh sheet of parchment from a drawer and thought for a few moments before picking up his pen to write her back.
My Dearest Lothiriel,
You must forgive me if I do not write this letter with the best of etiquette and style, I was never trained to do this kind of thing. I will start by saying that I am not angry that you left Edoras so suddenly. I understand the importance of friends and the meaning of loyalty, so not only do I understand, but I pray that your friend recovers and that the two of you will be back to normal very soon. If she is anything like you, I know she will recover.
Meduseheld is a much duller place without you around. I enjoy my joking with Aragorn and Faramir, and I appreciate the council that I received from your brothers and noble father, but it is you I miss the most. I am saddened that we did not have a proper goodbye, and I hope that this letter makes up for all the time we missed. One thing is for sure, I hope that someday you will bear the same loyalty for me as your friend,that you do now for your friend that is sick.
I am flattered that your highness would find me attractive. I've never gone so far as to think of myself as anything but a man with a job to do. I don't train to keep up my looks, I train because it is necessary for my safety and the safety of my country. I'm glad you noticed though. Its nice to know that there is more to me than just a sword, a horse and a crown.
I must confess something similar to you, Lothiriel. The moment you took off your hood, I was instantly attracted to you. I wasn't sneaking off to catch a glimpse of you in your private time, but I did watch you every chance I got. I may get in trouble for this, but you are most certainly the best looking woman in Rohan when you are here.
I love more than just your physical form, Lothiriel. I love your voice and your laugh. I love your sharp wit and the way you make Faramir cave to you in an argument. (Could you blame me for wanting to accentuate my brother-in-law's shortcomings?) I am thoroughly intrigued by you, and I am glad that we've decided to be friends and keep writing to each other. Who knows? I may get time out of my busy life to visit your fair city, and, Valar willing, I may get the chance to meet this friend who means so much to you.
I pray for her deliverance, as well as your safety. I do not think you are a silly girl, I only hold you in the highest respect. Write to me soon, and stay safe.
With love, Eomer
The night before, however, Eomer visited each of his guests in their rooms to bid them a more intimate farewell. Many tears were shed between the king and Eowyn, and he reassured her many times that while her heart resided with Faramir in Ithilien, she would always hold a place in Meduseheld, as well as a place within the hearts of the people of Rohan.
Aragorn and Arwen thanked Eomer for the time that he spent with them during their stay and both sovereigns assured him that he was indeed fit to be king. This reassurance and friendship with the king and queen of Gondor was worth more than the entire contents of Edoras' treasury to Eomer.
As the night wore on, Eomer approached his final stop for the night: The north wing of Meduseheld. The north wing was comprised of six rooms and a few balconies separating them. This was where Imrahil and his children had been staying during their time in Edoras. Eomer had always said goodnight to Lothiriel at the main doors to the wing. Ever since their first talk in the library, the young king and the princess of Dol Amroth had been spending a lot of time together. Now that Eomer realized she was leaving, perhaps never to return again, he felt he needed to say goodbye to her properly and make her promise to write.
"Absolutely ridiculous for the king of this house to be feeling anxious at the entrance to a part of his own home! I'm no better than a blushing maid." Eomer cursed himself. His hands were sweaty, and the only sound he could hear was the incessant beating of his heart. With a deep breath he opened the doors to the north wing and looked around. Most of the doors were closed, and by process of elimination, Eomer knew that at least one of the rooms was unoccupied. He knocked on the first door and it was opened by Erchiron. Eomer sighed with relief, albeit very quietly and proceeded as planned.
By the time Eomer got to Lothiriel's room, he discovered that not only was he no longer nervous, but felt like he had the entire royal family of Dol Amroth blessing his choice to be friends with their beloved princess. He knocked on her door and there was no answer. He thought that it was rather late and that the princess probably was asleep. But he could feel cold air rushing underneath the door and when he tried the knob, it was unlocked. Going against what he knew to be proper behavior, he opened the door to Lothiriel's room.
The room was empty and the bedsheets had been used to make a rope which led out of Meduseheld, and adjacent to the stables. There was a note on the dresser addressed to Imrahil and her brothers, and a letter beside it in an envelope addressed to Eomer. The note meant for Imrahil read:
Dear Father, Elphir, Erchirion and Amrothos:
I have gotten word that my friend Yanniel in Dol Amroth has come down with a dreadful fever and may die soon. I wanted to be at her side should she die, and to do that I had to leave Edoras in a hurry. Please apologize to the king and queen for my rudeness, and to my cousin and his wife for not escorting them to their new home and helping them celebrate moving in. Most of all, tell King Eomer that I am sorry I left so soon without thanking him for having me in his home. Tell him that I am sorry we did not have a proper goodbye and I will truly miss his company when I arrive home. Please give him this letter and have him send one to me as soon as it is possible. Please do not be too angry with me. I may be a princess and a lady, but I am a friend as well. Yanniel is like a sister to me and I would never leave her in Dol Amroth to die alone. I love you all.
Lothiriel
Eomer was shocked and sympathetic all at the same time. He couldn't believe that Lothiriel, a princess who could not lift a sword or shield had packed her things and escaped from a heavily guarded city in the middle of the night on horseback, alone, to travel four or five days without escort just to be at the bedside of a dying friend. He was amazed by her loyalty to her friend and hoped that she might hold him in that same regard someday.
He knew, all too well, what it meant to lose someone that means so much. Most recently, it had been Theoden and Theodred. While he had known Eomund before his death, Eomer always regarded Theoden as his father- figure. It had been Theoden who watched over him after Eomund was killed and it was Theoden who held Eomer and Eowyn in his lap when Theodwyn died.
The king's mind was poisoned when his son died. Eomer had carried his cousin's lifeless body back from the battle and stayed at Theodred's side up until he was banished from Rohan. Theodred was a brother to Eomer, someone he had always looked up to. Eomer tried hard to save the prince's life, but it didn't work. The young king bore no ill will to Lothiriel for her descision. If he was in her position. Eomer would probably do exactly what she had done.
He was, however, extremely curious to read what was in the letter that Lothiriel had written to him. His curiosity could have gotten the best of him, but he decided it best to let Imrahil and his sons sleep, and let them discover Lothiriel's absence in the morning. It wasn't very responsible, but Eomer decided it would give Lothiriel a head start before her father and brothers could find her. It would also keep the rest of Dol Amroth's royalty from spending a sleepless night worrying. All of middle earth had had enough sleepless nights for one age. Of course there was much commotion in the morning, and the formal goodbyes didn't last long. Eomer prayed that Lothiriel had gotten to her friend in time, and perhaps the Valar had granted her friend another chance at life and cured her of the fever.
It was with relief that Eomer finally opened the letter addressed to him.
Dear Eomer,
My friend, I have gotten word that another friend of mine is ill and may be dying at home in Dol Amroth. Though it would be the proper behavior of a princess to remain with her lord and send a letter or flowers to a sick friend, I bear more love and loyalty to my friend than that and I had to leave Edoras to be at her side. I hope you are not angry with me.
I hope this to be the first of many letters that I write to you, and I hope that you will find time in your busy schedule to write to me as well. I do miss you, very much, even though I have not even left Edoras yet.
The time I spent with you and talking to you was truly the most entertaining out of the many activities I participated in. Though I did not imagine that I, princess of Dol Amroth and the Lady of the Swan Knights would ever have anything in common with a King of Rohan and former warrior and hero of the war. But it seems that you and I have had similar pasts, and we seem to be of the same mindset. That's why we get along so well.
With that said, I have a confession to make. We are still friends no matter what you think of me after this, but I think you are truly handsome Eomer. I was awestruck when I first met you. We don't see many people with gold hair in Gondor, though I must say that the color suits you. I would be lying if I said I never tried to sneak to your private training sessions to watch you do what you do best. And it would be wrong for me to say that I didn't enjoy dancing with you at Midwinter, because I did.
Now that I have thoroughly embarrassed myself, and I have the King of Rohan thinking that this princess is nothing more than a bumbling little wench, I will end this letter. I pray that you will write to me soon.
Your Friend, Lothiriel
Eomer chuckled to himself. "Sneaking to my training sessions? I wonder what Imrahil would say if he knew. Oh Lothiriel, how you confuse me. She doesn't do it on purpose, but it seems like maybe I had it in me to dislike her before I met her because she was forced upon me. But now I see this whole court dilemma as a gift. I must write to Aragorn and thank him for his compromise."
Eomer folded the letter and placed it in a box on his desk and pulled a fresh sheet of parchment from a drawer and thought for a few moments before picking up his pen to write her back.
My Dearest Lothiriel,
You must forgive me if I do not write this letter with the best of etiquette and style, I was never trained to do this kind of thing. I will start by saying that I am not angry that you left Edoras so suddenly. I understand the importance of friends and the meaning of loyalty, so not only do I understand, but I pray that your friend recovers and that the two of you will be back to normal very soon. If she is anything like you, I know she will recover.
Meduseheld is a much duller place without you around. I enjoy my joking with Aragorn and Faramir, and I appreciate the council that I received from your brothers and noble father, but it is you I miss the most. I am saddened that we did not have a proper goodbye, and I hope that this letter makes up for all the time we missed. One thing is for sure, I hope that someday you will bear the same loyalty for me as your friend,that you do now for your friend that is sick.
I am flattered that your highness would find me attractive. I've never gone so far as to think of myself as anything but a man with a job to do. I don't train to keep up my looks, I train because it is necessary for my safety and the safety of my country. I'm glad you noticed though. Its nice to know that there is more to me than just a sword, a horse and a crown.
I must confess something similar to you, Lothiriel. The moment you took off your hood, I was instantly attracted to you. I wasn't sneaking off to catch a glimpse of you in your private time, but I did watch you every chance I got. I may get in trouble for this, but you are most certainly the best looking woman in Rohan when you are here.
I love more than just your physical form, Lothiriel. I love your voice and your laugh. I love your sharp wit and the way you make Faramir cave to you in an argument. (Could you blame me for wanting to accentuate my brother-in-law's shortcomings?) I am thoroughly intrigued by you, and I am glad that we've decided to be friends and keep writing to each other. Who knows? I may get time out of my busy life to visit your fair city, and, Valar willing, I may get the chance to meet this friend who means so much to you.
I pray for her deliverance, as well as your safety. I do not think you are a silly girl, I only hold you in the highest respect. Write to me soon, and stay safe.
With love, Eomer