A/N It's been ages since I last wrote a chapter for this. The last one was
something I'd written just after I stopped, and had persuaded my wonderful
wonderful beta to send me back. I abandoned everyone for so long, and I'm
very sorry. I hope this chapter will make up for it! Just one more thing,
I've decided to abandon the first person thing at the beginning, after
everyone complained a lot.
~~~~ A MOUTHFUL ~~~~
Tangwystl hugged her child to her chest protectively. Lothiriel very clearly knew Rohirric Law, and that should this child be male, the marriage (And, like enough, the entire Kingdom of Rohan) be in tatters. And Tangwystl knew very well whether this child was male.
"My Lord Eomer! You have been blessed with a child! I congratulate you!" Lothiriel was positively beaming. Tangwystl looked at her, unsure whether to be angry.
"Yes, My Lady," he said, grinding his teeth. Lothiriel looked like she wanted to laugh, Tangwystl looked like she wanted to cry, and Eomer knew exactly what he wanted. A bottomless chasm to swallow him up.
"And what shall you name the child, My Lord?" asked Lothiriel mockingly, noting with twisted satisfaction Tangwystl's slight flinch.
Tangwystl was by now getting tired of being excluded from the conversation. She sneaked a sidelong glance at Eomer, and he caught on immediately.
"The good lady Tangwystl and I have not decided on the child's name as of yet," he informed her stonily.
"And what a shame. I have a passion for names. I'd love to help name it," she said innocently enough.
Eomer kept his mouth shut, suspicious of his wife's intentions, but Tangwystl, who was perhaps not the sharpest sword in the armoury, was instantly excited at the prospect of discussing her child, and immediately began to gush.
"Well, we were thinking of a historical figure, perhaps an ancient ruler? Do you know much of them. He'd have to be someone-," Tangwystl was cut off by a muffled shout from Lothiriel.
"I am sure HE will be adorable, whatever his name. Now, however, I must leave. I have bags to pack," said Lothiriel airily, leaving the room.
Eomer leapt from his seat and ran outside after her. "Lothiriel! We must talk!" Eomer was terrified. This could ruin him. The only way around it was to send Tangwystl and their child away, and be denied any participation in the upbringing. He did not know if he could do that.
"Yes, My Lord?" asked Lothiriel, whirling round. She had a great desire to drop all her manners and suddenly be as rude and harsh as she wished, for it would do her no harm now, but twenty years of good upbringing prevented that. She satisfied herself with a cold and moderately impertinent tone of voice.
"The... the child... 'Tis... my good friend's... He... he bid me look after it before he died..." Eomer choked on his words. To say thus was to deny his love for his mistress and their son; It was betrayal of all they had done together, as if it had not happened.
"Oh?" Lothiriel was surprised, to say the least. He would give up his own son, just to please her? Well then, she would see how much he would do for her.
"You will have no problem, then, with the child attending a most wonderful school in Gondor?" she asked, sweetly.
Eomer paled. "N-no..." Oh, the eloquence of kings(
"And you think that Tangwystl being a Lady in Waiting to the Queen Arwen is an excellent idea, don't you?" she said. It was more a statement than a question.
"It... I mean she would... Yes. It would be wonderful..." Eomer knew exactly what he would have to do. All he had to do was explain that to Tangwystl.
~*~*~Two Weeks Later~*~*~
The King's chambers in Meduseld are quite grand, Tangwystl mused, as she made her way towards the red-draped bed. Today, however, Eomer was already there. And sitting up on the pillows, he looked decidedly pale. She touched his cheek with the back of her hand.
"You are cold tonight?" she asked, looking at him concernedly. "I will have Aleneve re-light the fire..." she broke off, reaching for a bell.
Eomer caught her wrist. "No, my love. I am not cold," he said, covering her small, delicate hand in his larger rough one.
"Why then, are you paled? Have you taken fever?" she asked, meeting his chocolate coloured eyes with her green ones.
'She isn't making this any easier...' thought Eomer in despair. "No, I have not taken fever. I... we need to talk..." he told her gently.
Tangwystl's breath caught. She knew this would happen, knew that that foreign witch - Who couldn't even *ride* - would steal her wonderful soldier.
"The child. You would have us killed!" said Tangwystl, her eyes wide with panic.
Eomer took her in his arms quickly. "No, my love, not that. Never that..." they sat in silence for a few minutes, rocking together gently.
"Then what?" Tangwystl asked in a hoarse whisper.
"The Lady Lothiriel... She is not cruel, my love, do not think that. She is a stranger in a foreign land, trapped in a loveless marriage, with no future to look forward to, and no one to turn to. Okay, She is strong, though... She knows what she wants. And she wants you gone," said Eomer, holding his lover even closer.
"No! You said we would live, you promised us that!" she sobbed.
"You will live, my love, you will live! But you cannot stay here. She has arranged for our son to be educated in Gondor, and she has found you lodging and a source of income till the end of your days," he said soothingly.
Tangwystl would not be calmed, though. She stood up in fury. "And you would do this!? You have bent to the will of that woman!? A vile usurper of your throne, no less! You will send me away, but I'll be damned if ever I come back!" she cried, and ran from the chamber.
~*~*~
It was in the grey dawn of the next morning that Tangwystl left Edoras. Eomer had not been informed of when she was leaving, and so he was not there. As the first spatters of rain fell on the cobbled yard, the covered carriage wobbled away.
Stony faced, Tangwystl did not turn around, but subconsciously hugged Airan, their child, closer. She could not have Eomer, so she would cherish this child as she did his father. Forever.
~*~*~
That same grey dawn, Lothiriel watched Tangwystl leave. Just because she had gone, life would be no happier.
Over the next few months, she was proved right. There had been no news from her father in three weeks. He was old, she reasoned, and had little time to waste on his grown up daughter. His ONLY grown up daughter. But what could you expect from a man who sent his daughter away to a horrid country to while away her days alone?
In the next room, Eomer was in a similar state. Tangwystl had not written him, and by the looks of it, was not going to. Not that he blamed her. Lothiriel had been rather mopey the last few days, which had rather annoyed Eomer, since he had sent away his lover and child just to please her. He began to stew a little on this, becoming more and more annoyed at her ingratitude, until finally he jumped from his seat, and went to pound upon her bedroom door.
Hearing the dreadful racket, Lothiriel tore herself up from her position at the table, where she had been writing a complaint-filled letter to her father. She stormed over to the door, intent upon giving whoever had decided to intrude upon her a right mouthful. She unbolted the door, and swung it open, to reveal Eomer.
"Are you aware of- Oh... My Lord," she dropped a small curtsy, and moved to let him in.
Slightly softened by her sudden good manners, Eomer motioned she should sit. "I... That is to say, all of us... Mostly, me, really, but a lot of people recently... have, er, noticed you seem, er, preoccupied lately..." he faltered under her unrelenting gaze.
"Yes..." she encouraged him. Normally, she would have been cold and unresponsive, but lately she had been so starved of conversation that she needed to talk with him.
"I wondered if you were... happy, here. In Meduseld, I mean..." he said.
Lothiriel looked at him. She'd never previously taken the time. His sandy hair and brown eyes complimented each other perfectly, and his slightly scarred face was extremely appealing.
"Yes, well, I mean... I do like it. But perhaps I could... take a holiday, some place? Just to visit my father?" she asked, tentatively.
"Yes, if you would enjoy that...?" he asked, silently appraising her. Black hair wasn't that bad, really. And her blue eyes looked so pretty in the fire light... Before either of them knew what was happening, he leaned forward, and captured her mouth in a passionate kiss. To his surprise, she responded passionately.
After what seemed like an eternity, they broke away, more for air than anything else. Neither spoke for a while, slightly shocked at what had just happened. He smiled, and stroked her hair gently.
"Would you like to... again?" he asked. She smiled, warmly, and again their lips locked. This time, however, they pulled away a little earlier. Eomer, slightly shocked at just how much he had enjoyed the kiss, mumbled an excuse before leaving quickly.
Later, mulling over what had just happened, Lothiriel realised with a smile that she had given him a mouthful after all.
~~~~~
A/N Whee! I'm sure you're thinking 'Aww, it's going to be all soppy and happy and fluffy bunnies' and stuff. Well it's not. It's also not going to be a 'We're so physically attracted to each other but our mutual dislike is a barrier we must break down'. It's just going to carry on. That's all I'm telling you.
~~~~ A MOUTHFUL ~~~~
Tangwystl hugged her child to her chest protectively. Lothiriel very clearly knew Rohirric Law, and that should this child be male, the marriage (And, like enough, the entire Kingdom of Rohan) be in tatters. And Tangwystl knew very well whether this child was male.
"My Lord Eomer! You have been blessed with a child! I congratulate you!" Lothiriel was positively beaming. Tangwystl looked at her, unsure whether to be angry.
"Yes, My Lady," he said, grinding his teeth. Lothiriel looked like she wanted to laugh, Tangwystl looked like she wanted to cry, and Eomer knew exactly what he wanted. A bottomless chasm to swallow him up.
"And what shall you name the child, My Lord?" asked Lothiriel mockingly, noting with twisted satisfaction Tangwystl's slight flinch.
Tangwystl was by now getting tired of being excluded from the conversation. She sneaked a sidelong glance at Eomer, and he caught on immediately.
"The good lady Tangwystl and I have not decided on the child's name as of yet," he informed her stonily.
"And what a shame. I have a passion for names. I'd love to help name it," she said innocently enough.
Eomer kept his mouth shut, suspicious of his wife's intentions, but Tangwystl, who was perhaps not the sharpest sword in the armoury, was instantly excited at the prospect of discussing her child, and immediately began to gush.
"Well, we were thinking of a historical figure, perhaps an ancient ruler? Do you know much of them. He'd have to be someone-," Tangwystl was cut off by a muffled shout from Lothiriel.
"I am sure HE will be adorable, whatever his name. Now, however, I must leave. I have bags to pack," said Lothiriel airily, leaving the room.
Eomer leapt from his seat and ran outside after her. "Lothiriel! We must talk!" Eomer was terrified. This could ruin him. The only way around it was to send Tangwystl and their child away, and be denied any participation in the upbringing. He did not know if he could do that.
"Yes, My Lord?" asked Lothiriel, whirling round. She had a great desire to drop all her manners and suddenly be as rude and harsh as she wished, for it would do her no harm now, but twenty years of good upbringing prevented that. She satisfied herself with a cold and moderately impertinent tone of voice.
"The... the child... 'Tis... my good friend's... He... he bid me look after it before he died..." Eomer choked on his words. To say thus was to deny his love for his mistress and their son; It was betrayal of all they had done together, as if it had not happened.
"Oh?" Lothiriel was surprised, to say the least. He would give up his own son, just to please her? Well then, she would see how much he would do for her.
"You will have no problem, then, with the child attending a most wonderful school in Gondor?" she asked, sweetly.
Eomer paled. "N-no..." Oh, the eloquence of kings(
"And you think that Tangwystl being a Lady in Waiting to the Queen Arwen is an excellent idea, don't you?" she said. It was more a statement than a question.
"It... I mean she would... Yes. It would be wonderful..." Eomer knew exactly what he would have to do. All he had to do was explain that to Tangwystl.
~*~*~Two Weeks Later~*~*~
The King's chambers in Meduseld are quite grand, Tangwystl mused, as she made her way towards the red-draped bed. Today, however, Eomer was already there. And sitting up on the pillows, he looked decidedly pale. She touched his cheek with the back of her hand.
"You are cold tonight?" she asked, looking at him concernedly. "I will have Aleneve re-light the fire..." she broke off, reaching for a bell.
Eomer caught her wrist. "No, my love. I am not cold," he said, covering her small, delicate hand in his larger rough one.
"Why then, are you paled? Have you taken fever?" she asked, meeting his chocolate coloured eyes with her green ones.
'She isn't making this any easier...' thought Eomer in despair. "No, I have not taken fever. I... we need to talk..." he told her gently.
Tangwystl's breath caught. She knew this would happen, knew that that foreign witch - Who couldn't even *ride* - would steal her wonderful soldier.
"The child. You would have us killed!" said Tangwystl, her eyes wide with panic.
Eomer took her in his arms quickly. "No, my love, not that. Never that..." they sat in silence for a few minutes, rocking together gently.
"Then what?" Tangwystl asked in a hoarse whisper.
"The Lady Lothiriel... She is not cruel, my love, do not think that. She is a stranger in a foreign land, trapped in a loveless marriage, with no future to look forward to, and no one to turn to. Okay, She is strong, though... She knows what she wants. And she wants you gone," said Eomer, holding his lover even closer.
"No! You said we would live, you promised us that!" she sobbed.
"You will live, my love, you will live! But you cannot stay here. She has arranged for our son to be educated in Gondor, and she has found you lodging and a source of income till the end of your days," he said soothingly.
Tangwystl would not be calmed, though. She stood up in fury. "And you would do this!? You have bent to the will of that woman!? A vile usurper of your throne, no less! You will send me away, but I'll be damned if ever I come back!" she cried, and ran from the chamber.
~*~*~
It was in the grey dawn of the next morning that Tangwystl left Edoras. Eomer had not been informed of when she was leaving, and so he was not there. As the first spatters of rain fell on the cobbled yard, the covered carriage wobbled away.
Stony faced, Tangwystl did not turn around, but subconsciously hugged Airan, their child, closer. She could not have Eomer, so she would cherish this child as she did his father. Forever.
~*~*~
That same grey dawn, Lothiriel watched Tangwystl leave. Just because she had gone, life would be no happier.
Over the next few months, she was proved right. There had been no news from her father in three weeks. He was old, she reasoned, and had little time to waste on his grown up daughter. His ONLY grown up daughter. But what could you expect from a man who sent his daughter away to a horrid country to while away her days alone?
In the next room, Eomer was in a similar state. Tangwystl had not written him, and by the looks of it, was not going to. Not that he blamed her. Lothiriel had been rather mopey the last few days, which had rather annoyed Eomer, since he had sent away his lover and child just to please her. He began to stew a little on this, becoming more and more annoyed at her ingratitude, until finally he jumped from his seat, and went to pound upon her bedroom door.
Hearing the dreadful racket, Lothiriel tore herself up from her position at the table, where she had been writing a complaint-filled letter to her father. She stormed over to the door, intent upon giving whoever had decided to intrude upon her a right mouthful. She unbolted the door, and swung it open, to reveal Eomer.
"Are you aware of- Oh... My Lord," she dropped a small curtsy, and moved to let him in.
Slightly softened by her sudden good manners, Eomer motioned she should sit. "I... That is to say, all of us... Mostly, me, really, but a lot of people recently... have, er, noticed you seem, er, preoccupied lately..." he faltered under her unrelenting gaze.
"Yes..." she encouraged him. Normally, she would have been cold and unresponsive, but lately she had been so starved of conversation that she needed to talk with him.
"I wondered if you were... happy, here. In Meduseld, I mean..." he said.
Lothiriel looked at him. She'd never previously taken the time. His sandy hair and brown eyes complimented each other perfectly, and his slightly scarred face was extremely appealing.
"Yes, well, I mean... I do like it. But perhaps I could... take a holiday, some place? Just to visit my father?" she asked, tentatively.
"Yes, if you would enjoy that...?" he asked, silently appraising her. Black hair wasn't that bad, really. And her blue eyes looked so pretty in the fire light... Before either of them knew what was happening, he leaned forward, and captured her mouth in a passionate kiss. To his surprise, she responded passionately.
After what seemed like an eternity, they broke away, more for air than anything else. Neither spoke for a while, slightly shocked at what had just happened. He smiled, and stroked her hair gently.
"Would you like to... again?" he asked. She smiled, warmly, and again their lips locked. This time, however, they pulled away a little earlier. Eomer, slightly shocked at just how much he had enjoyed the kiss, mumbled an excuse before leaving quickly.
Later, mulling over what had just happened, Lothiriel realised with a smile that she had given him a mouthful after all.
~~~~~
A/N Whee! I'm sure you're thinking 'Aww, it's going to be all soppy and happy and fluffy bunnies' and stuff. Well it's not. It's also not going to be a 'We're so physically attracted to each other but our mutual dislike is a barrier we must break down'. It's just going to carry on. That's all I'm telling you.