AN: Basically you can cut and paste whatever I said for the last chapter...
Lady Scribe of Avandale: (Did I spell that right?) Yes, I know I made her ride off without clothes! I meant to put in something about Lothiriel making up a story to explain this to her father, but completely forgot about it. :P Oh, and the story is mostly from Unfinished Tales (by Tolkien, compiled by his son). The facts are, anyway. All the emotions and the "lingering effects" of the "sea-longing" are my inventions. Thanks as always for the review! And to the rest who reviewed, as well!!
Jynessa: Fantasies? Me? *looks angelic* No, I wouldn't have fantasies of sitting with a shirtless Eomer in a cave in firelight, sketching him. Nope, no way, not I...;) Don't worry, the fluff continues soon!
Sorry I'm too lazy to do individual replies to everybody. Plus, this chapter went up really fast...*ahem*
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^
When my father asked me why I'd come riding back to Edoras in the rain the night before, wearing nothing but my chemise and a blanket, I really wanted to tell him something that would make him take me home. For instance, that Eomer had spent the day making passionate love to me out on the plains and I'd come home in a befuddled stupor. But I didn't. I told him that we'd gotten caught in the rain and I'd given my dress to a poor, starving peasant girl, and that it would feed her family for a month.
Sometimes father is not the brightest of men.
I related my lie at breakfast, then afterwards returned to my room to sulk some more. I was still incensed at Eomer for having the audacity to claim I was scared of some age-old tale that MIGHT be a curse. All right, so I WAS afraid. A little. But that didn't give him the right to call my bluff!
I found my supposedly-sold dress carefully folded in a small box lying on my bed. Attached was a note:
Lothiriel: I apologize (again) if I offended you yesterday. However, as you seem to find my presence so constantly trying to your peace of mind, I think would be best if we call off our charade of courtship. I wish you the best of luck in the future, and I sincerely hope that the man your father finally marries you to is not overbearing, pretentious, or sees behind the wall you've built around your heart.
With what might, someday, have been love,
Eomer
I felt horrible. He loved me? The tone of the letter indicated so, yet his closing line said he only "might" have loved me "someday". Had I truly hurt him? I knew I had been rude yesterday in the cave, but he had been so cavalier! Analyzing my behaviors as though he had a right to!
Who was I kidding? Not even myself, anymore. I sank down on the bed and stared up at the beautiful canopy. I had opened myself up to him, practically told him my greatest fears, and then had the audacity to lash out at him when he accepted what was virtually an invitation to get close to me. Inexcusable. A princess should be better behaved.
And now I'd lost him. The only man I'd ever met who could make me laugh, cry, and blush within seconds of each other. A man who had, throughout the past week, taken every opportunity I had given him to tease me, and yet had always seen the humor when I teased him back. A man whose face tempted my dreams...someone I, too, might have loved someday.
There was only one thing to do.
^~^~^
The traditional dinner-feast was the only place I could be sure of seeing Eomer without hunting for him, so I went that night, though I had previously planned to abstain. A feeling of shame was stubbornly occupying my mind, so I didn't notice what the maids were doing to me until they started to push me out the door and I realized what I was wearing.
THE gown. The silvery one that my brothers said made me look like a mermaid, and strangers said made me look like an immortal Elf. Loosely fitted, it clung in some places, skimmed the skin in others, always hinting, never blatantly stating. My hair was loose again, in ringlets down my back. A silver swan pendant hung at my throat, for Dol Amroth.
Oh, great. Let's not be too obvious, Lothiriel, I told myself. But it was too late to change: I had no choice but to continue to the Hall. So I did, stepping over to the table where Eomer was usually seated.
He was there tonight, as was his custom. As was not his custom, he was flanked by two golden-haired girls, obviously of high rank. He was smiling, and the woman on his right said something that made him throw his head back and laugh. He lightly touched her arm, then turned to the other woman.
A shaft of pain, bitter cold, shot through my stomach. Suddenly there was a lump in my throat; I couldn't speak to the man offering to escort me to my seat. Not taking my eyes from Eomer, I leaned backwards into a carven column and sank my weight against it. My head ached, the determination that had carried me into the room faded away to cold nothingness.
He didn't care anymore. He obviously never had, or he wouldn't have moved on to other marital prospects so soon. Any feelings I had sensed in his note had been entirely my own doing, not anything meant by him.
For a moment, I felt defeated.
^~^~^
AN: yeah, yeah, I know. BORING chapter, but what can I say. It's transitory! I promise, more fun is coming! Now hit that REVIEW button! G'wan, you know you want to! It's calling to you...
Lady Scribe of Avandale: (Did I spell that right?) Yes, I know I made her ride off without clothes! I meant to put in something about Lothiriel making up a story to explain this to her father, but completely forgot about it. :P Oh, and the story is mostly from Unfinished Tales (by Tolkien, compiled by his son). The facts are, anyway. All the emotions and the "lingering effects" of the "sea-longing" are my inventions. Thanks as always for the review! And to the rest who reviewed, as well!!
Jynessa: Fantasies? Me? *looks angelic* No, I wouldn't have fantasies of sitting with a shirtless Eomer in a cave in firelight, sketching him. Nope, no way, not I...;) Don't worry, the fluff continues soon!
Sorry I'm too lazy to do individual replies to everybody. Plus, this chapter went up really fast...*ahem*
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^
When my father asked me why I'd come riding back to Edoras in the rain the night before, wearing nothing but my chemise and a blanket, I really wanted to tell him something that would make him take me home. For instance, that Eomer had spent the day making passionate love to me out on the plains and I'd come home in a befuddled stupor. But I didn't. I told him that we'd gotten caught in the rain and I'd given my dress to a poor, starving peasant girl, and that it would feed her family for a month.
Sometimes father is not the brightest of men.
I related my lie at breakfast, then afterwards returned to my room to sulk some more. I was still incensed at Eomer for having the audacity to claim I was scared of some age-old tale that MIGHT be a curse. All right, so I WAS afraid. A little. But that didn't give him the right to call my bluff!
I found my supposedly-sold dress carefully folded in a small box lying on my bed. Attached was a note:
Lothiriel: I apologize (again) if I offended you yesterday. However, as you seem to find my presence so constantly trying to your peace of mind, I think would be best if we call off our charade of courtship. I wish you the best of luck in the future, and I sincerely hope that the man your father finally marries you to is not overbearing, pretentious, or sees behind the wall you've built around your heart.
With what might, someday, have been love,
Eomer
I felt horrible. He loved me? The tone of the letter indicated so, yet his closing line said he only "might" have loved me "someday". Had I truly hurt him? I knew I had been rude yesterday in the cave, but he had been so cavalier! Analyzing my behaviors as though he had a right to!
Who was I kidding? Not even myself, anymore. I sank down on the bed and stared up at the beautiful canopy. I had opened myself up to him, practically told him my greatest fears, and then had the audacity to lash out at him when he accepted what was virtually an invitation to get close to me. Inexcusable. A princess should be better behaved.
And now I'd lost him. The only man I'd ever met who could make me laugh, cry, and blush within seconds of each other. A man who had, throughout the past week, taken every opportunity I had given him to tease me, and yet had always seen the humor when I teased him back. A man whose face tempted my dreams...someone I, too, might have loved someday.
There was only one thing to do.
^~^~^
The traditional dinner-feast was the only place I could be sure of seeing Eomer without hunting for him, so I went that night, though I had previously planned to abstain. A feeling of shame was stubbornly occupying my mind, so I didn't notice what the maids were doing to me until they started to push me out the door and I realized what I was wearing.
THE gown. The silvery one that my brothers said made me look like a mermaid, and strangers said made me look like an immortal Elf. Loosely fitted, it clung in some places, skimmed the skin in others, always hinting, never blatantly stating. My hair was loose again, in ringlets down my back. A silver swan pendant hung at my throat, for Dol Amroth.
Oh, great. Let's not be too obvious, Lothiriel, I told myself. But it was too late to change: I had no choice but to continue to the Hall. So I did, stepping over to the table where Eomer was usually seated.
He was there tonight, as was his custom. As was not his custom, he was flanked by two golden-haired girls, obviously of high rank. He was smiling, and the woman on his right said something that made him throw his head back and laugh. He lightly touched her arm, then turned to the other woman.
A shaft of pain, bitter cold, shot through my stomach. Suddenly there was a lump in my throat; I couldn't speak to the man offering to escort me to my seat. Not taking my eyes from Eomer, I leaned backwards into a carven column and sank my weight against it. My head ached, the determination that had carried me into the room faded away to cold nothingness.
He didn't care anymore. He obviously never had, or he wouldn't have moved on to other marital prospects so soon. Any feelings I had sensed in his note had been entirely my own doing, not anything meant by him.
For a moment, I felt defeated.
^~^~^
AN: yeah, yeah, I know. BORING chapter, but what can I say. It's transitory! I promise, more fun is coming! Now hit that REVIEW button! G'wan, you know you want to! It's calling to you...
