Eomer stares at the board in front of him, contemplating his next move, trying to figure out the quickest route to win. It was an hour after dinner and the Golden Hall was pretty much empty. Gandalf and the Hobbits had left after breakfast, Gandalf had gone with them to make sure their return journey to the Shire was safe. All the other guests that had come for Theoden's funeral had departed as well, some last night, others this morning. So the great hall was pretty much deserted, except for a few guards and servants, Faramir's guards, himself and Faramir, and Eowyn and Lothiriel. There was a fire going, which cast a bit of light in the room, and warmth, as it was yet another cold night. Would spring never come? Torches were lit all over the room, giving it the rest of the light it needed, the light needed to play this game of chess against Faramir. He could hear Eowyn and Lothiriel speaking quietly to each other somewhere across the room as they watched the game, but it doesn't register. Finally he smirks as he sees an opening and moves one of his pieces. "Check." He leans back and grins, knowing that this time he was going to win against Faramir and feeling quite proud of himself.

Faramir leans forward, his elbow resting on his knee with his chin resting lightly in his hand. He had not taken his eyes off the board in front of him for more than a second, and nothing could distract him. This was the third game of chess he and Eomer were playing, the first two were won quickly and the third was following suit. Eomer, he had to admit, was good at the game, but Faramir was a master. Only because it was the one thing his father would spend time with him doing. And it was the only thing he had ever won at when playing against his father. But that had not come easily. He had had to endure countless hours of reprimands and put downs while learning, from his father, how to play the game. But he had put his mind to it and when he put his mind to something he couldn't be stopped. He must have read every book on the subject. Just so he could prove his worth to his father. And when in the end he had won against his father, it had of course angered Denethor enough to refuse playing the game with his youngest son ever again. Ah but then it was Boromir who would step in then and they spent many hours playing the game together. Boromir, though he preferred fighting to the game of chess, never the less became a worthy opponent for Faramir. In fact, they had a game that would never be finished, thanks to Boromir's untimely death.

But Faramir had never known an opponent like Eomer. He had picked up the game so quickly that Faramir was even now having to pay more attention to the game. He was feeling much better now. Over dinner, he had been able to smooth things over with Lothiriel and Eomer, explaining his reason for laughing and that he was sorry he had. Luckily they had all understood and forgiven him for making them feel uncomfortable. So everything was back to normal, and for some reason, Eomer was actually spending time with him. Hence the chess game. He studies the board, ignoring the brush of a hand against the back of his neck as someone, Eowyn most likely, passes behind where he was sitting. He does smile slightly though. He sees the only way out of the situation he was in in the game and moves his piece, looking at Eomer. "Checkmate."

Lothiriel was sitting across from Eowyn talking quietly about that afternoon. She had tried to explain to Eowyn how she didn't want the kiss to become some sort of great topic for discussion from now until forever. She just rather drop the whole thing, Faramir had said he was sorry for laughing, and she had told him how she could see the humor in it considering Eomer was the one getting caught this time. But that it had been HER kiss too, not just Eomer getting caught kissing just anyone. And so she wanted that fact to be respected. Eowyn totally understood and had explained to her about her talk with Faramir. In the end they had had a nice little talk. But now as she looked over at the men, she thinks that she would like to see how they were doing so that maybe she could spend a little more time with Eomer before bed.

Getting up and walking over to the table, she looks at the little carved figures. She could play chess, though she had not played with Faramir for years so she didn't know if he had improved or not. He had won most of the time before, though she had also won her share as they used to be equally matched. That thought brings a smile to her face and laying a hand on his shoulder she leans in and whispers in his ear. "If you would like to practice some time, I know how to beat Faramir at his own game." She laughs softly as she straightens, unable to help herself. It was nice that the tension was gone from between them all. She hoped that it would remain this way for the short time she had left. For she would be leaving with Faramir tomorrow. That thought causes her face to drop and a genuine sadness falls over it. She tries to pull herself out of it, so she puts on a smile and says softly, "How about a walk?"

Eowyn was also glad that it was all cleared up because the beginning of dinner had been a bit stilted. Faramir and she had had a nice talk on the way home, and he had not reverted to saying he was sorry as if he was apologizing to his father. She knew that it had taken a lot for him to do it in a genuine manner, but he had and she hoped that he felt better for it. At least better then he had back in the forest.

She gets up along with Lothiriel, laughing at something she says about the boys and the sort of look they had on their faces, and walks behind Faramir, lightly running her fingers along his neck. When he says checkmate, she looks to her brother to see how he will take it, knowing how competitive he was about things.

Eomer curses as once again he sees he had lost to Faramir. He wasn't really upset, just annoyed. He didn't like losing, but at least Faramir didn't rub it in. And he had noticed that this time, Faramir had to take longer in thinking out his moves. He perks up though when Lothiriel suggests a walk outside for the two of them. "That sounds lovely, Lothiriel. Well if you'll excuse us." He gets up and nods to Faramir before he offers his arm to Lothiriel and starts to walk out of the Golden Hall with her. Once outside he smiles. "Did you have a nice talk with my sister?"

Faramir smiles at Eomer, nodding to him when he curses and then excuses himself and Lothiriel from the room. He puts the chess pieces away in their protective case and then sets them on top of the board to be put away again by one of the near by servants. He then gets up and looks at Eowyn. "Perhaps I should walk you to your room, Eowyn? Since your brother isn't here to." He offers her his arm and then leads her from the room, nodding to his personal guards as he passes them. He walks along with her, acting as if he was really just walking her to her room, smiling and nodding at some servants they pass as well. Finally he opens the door to her room and waits for her to go inside before he follows after her, closing the door behind him. He then grabs her and turns her around before pulling her close and capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. It wasn't that he was planning to take it further than that kiss, but he had just missed being able to kiss her like this. When he pulls back he sighs softly, looking down at her. "I leave tomorrow. It does not seem like we will get our chance."

Lothiriel walks along with him in the gardens, looking around and taking everything in. She would be leaving in the morning and she wanted to have everything burnt into her memory, so to speak. She takes his arm, laying her hand lightly on his forearm , her other hand lightly clasping under his elbow. "Yes, we had a lovely talk. I think that we could become much better friends if we were to have the time. But alas, right at the moment we will not have the time. For I leave in the morning." She looks up at him sadly, indeed it was a true sadness, for she would miss him. "I have made more then one friend in my short stay here. For that I am grateful. I will write, as promised. And I will be here for Faramir's wedding. Maybe you could save me a dance at the wedding." She had believed in love at first sight, she just didn't know that it would happen to her. For that is what had happened. Love in a single day. And it hurt her to think of parting with him.

Eomer nods, looking ahead instead of at her. "I will save all my dances for you." Then with a sigh he looks over at her. He looked as sad as she did. "If it were my choice I would have you stay with me. But it is not. I will miss you. I know that much. And I will look forward to letters from Dol Amroth. Will you look forward to ones from Rohan?" He smiles as he looks at her again, his free hand moving to cover her hand on his forearm.

She nods, trying to smile, if only a little. "Of course I will! I will wait with baited breath each time someone comes from Rohan, hoping there will be something with him for me." She stops when they reach a rather lovely part of the garden, noticing how alone they were as she turns to face him. "I have never not wanted to leave a place so much before in my life, Eomer. And I do not even know Rohan enough to want to stay for it's own meret. No, what I wish is to have ever day a rider from Rohan with news from you." She blushes, knowing full well that that was totally impossible and bold of her to say.

He smiles, turning towards her when they stop. "Then you shall have one for everyday of the week. Though they will arrive only a few times a week. If I had enough riders I would send one each day. But I will write one for you everyday. If you wish to know the boring life of a King." He smiles and reaches up to caress her cheek. "You could stay if you wish to."

She sighs, shaking her head. "You know that I can not stay, no matter how much I wish to. Just as you can not send one letter a day, I can not stay here, un-chaperoned non the less! Do you know what my Father would do to you? It is best that I return, so that I might built you up for my father. So that I may even be able to soften him enough that when you visit, you holding my hand would seem natural. I know that Faramir has made it seem as if he would be rather taken with a King courting his daughter, but that is not so. He will not care if you are a King or a pauper if you can not make me happy and support me in a fashionable way." She feels the blush starting again because of their talk, talking as if they were planning on marrying.

He smiles at her, feeling his heart lighten at her words. Surely, if she was talking about this like she was, then she must love him. As he loved her, though he wasn't sure if he should voice it yet. Not until he was sure she really did love him and didn't just love him because he was a King. But no. That wouldn't be right. Lothiriel wasn't like that. She was kind and gentle and wouldn't be attracted to him just because he was a king. But still, now wasn't the time for him to blurt out his true feelings for her. After all, he himself could be wrong. He would wait and see after she left if he still loved her then. "Then we shall write to each other, and I shall try to find some time to come see you in Dol Amroth, so that you may show me the sea and introduce me properly to your father."

She glances around and sees what she is looking for, a stone bench near the roses. Walking over there she finds that they are quite scheduled, a trellis arching over the bench with wild lavender hanging in giant bunches from it. She takes a seat and pulls him down with her, still admiring all the lovely flowers that were near her. "You know, I was just thinking about something. When you write to me, you will need something to write about besides Daddy or how he is going to react when he sees you for the first time." She didn't mean in that he was going to see a King and therefore would be overly excited. No, no, no, her father did not let Kings make him go weak in the knees and his stomach to do flip flops. He knew how to behave in front of royalty, being so close to the top of the line and all. No, no, no, the reaction she was speaking about was that she intended to tell her Daddy when she got home that she had fallen in love. She had thought about not telling him until after he had met Eomer, however she was far too excited, she needed to tell someone or she was going to pop. She should be telling the man she loves that she was in love with him, except for the fact that she had never told any man she loved them, not the kind of love she felt for Eomer. And as it was she was still very shaky on that situation. Oh, no, not that she didn't love him, because she did, with all her heart, but that she felt the fool telling Eomer that she loved him after only one day of knowing him. So instead she would tell her Daddy when she got home and then she knew she would be back here soon as she was sure he would want to meet the man she had fallen in love with. In the back of her mind she bet that they would be back within a fortnight.

She is suddenly startled out of her thoughts when Eomer says her name again. "I am sorry, I was lost in this lovely garden." She smiles brightly motioning around the arbor they were sitting under. "I have an idea. You have some very different flowers in your garden. Instead of writing me about your last conquest or some other manly thing, you can let me know how the night blooming cactus is doing....... ?" She didn't know if he had a night blooming anything, as she looks at him, the picture of innocence, unable to stop herself from teasing him a little. The day was lovely and the company was great, as she sits there waiting for his answer she can think of no way this day could get any better. Well, there was only one way, but she was sure that he didn't love her yet, she would have to wait

He gives her a confused look. "But I know nothing of flowers. That was Eowyn's area of expertise. Or the gardeners. Cactus...those are the plants with the spikes?" He sees her nod and hears her giggle and smiles. "Ah well then I know of those. Eowyn pushed me into a patch of them when we were young. It was because I said girls shouldn't use swords. Of course she took to trying to beat me up after that. Got very far till mother stopped us." He smiles at the memory. He liked remembered his strong sister. Looking back at Lothiriel he can see the excitement on her face and wonders about it. But he doesn't ask about it. Instead he smiles and kisses her hand. "Do you know a lot about plants?"

She nods her head slightly, before answering. "I know a little about plants. But mostly I know about plants in Dol Amroth . The plant life there is different too because we are on the edge of the ocean. We get things like high winds, COLD winds that seem to just come out of no where and nip at your limbs. It doesn't matter sometimes though because the wind is so cold that you can't put on enough clothes. " She pauses again, looking up into his eyes. "What pleases you?" She meant as in something nice and she realizes that it may not have come out right. But she lets it hang there, very curious as to what he will say.

"You do." He smiles, aware of what he just said and not caring. He meant it. She did please him. Very much. "But that is not what you meant. You meant what I like to do?" He waits for her nod and smiles. "I enjoy riding my horse through the hills on a nice day. Or I like to practice sword fighting. Oh. Fishing is always fun. Do you fish in Dol Amroth?"

She leans towards him, smiling softly. "And you please me." She pauses a moment before going on, enjoying just looking into his eyes. "I do fish with my father from time to time, down by the pier. And there is this one stream that he really loves for the fresh water fish. But I don't like to kill them, so I always toss them back." She looks embarrassed, her voice lowering, "Father hates to fish with me if he is hungry. Because I have been known to throw ALL the fish back in."

He smiles. "All of them? Why not just let your father deal with killing them?" He watches her, then speaks again. "I enjoy hunting as well. Though unlike some, I hunt to produce food, not just for pleasure." He rubs her hand, then leans over and kisses her lightly. "Will you take me fishing with you when I come to Dol Amroth?"

It takes her a moment to register his question when he kisses her again. Three, he had kissed her three times now. It gave her a warm feeling in the pit of her stomach, and a tingling elsewhere, a place she had never felt anything like that before.

She swallows a few times before speaking. "I will go fishing with you, if you would like that." Then I will let them all go, she says to herself. He would learn, in time, that she was not asked normally to go on fishing trips for a reason. Yes, she did let the fish go. Yes, she had to let ALL the fish go. And if you brought live bait, watch out. She would have fun at Eomer's expense one of these days, and he would not ever forget their trip. But all in all it would be fun.

She leans in and kisses him lightly. FOUR! Four kisses! Her eyes sparkle as she looks up at him, her smile felt like it was about ready to split her face, she was grinning from ear to ear, nothing could bring her out of it, no not even her cousin. "Oh Eomer." She sighs happily. "I do not want to go in yet. I just want to be with you, under the stars, talking in whispers so as not to disturb the animals. I love it with you here." She had been about to say she loved him, but she had gone through that earlier, and she knew better. No no, she didn't want to scare him off.

"Then we shall stay out here as long as you wish." He moves close to her and places his arm around her shoulders, holding her close against his side. "Would you tell me more about your life? I wish to know everything. If you'll tell me." He smiles at her, rubbing his hand against her arm.

She leans against him, a smile on her face at how at home she felt being held against him. She knew that she could easily spend all night out here talking to him if she wasn't careful. "Well, I suppose that I could start out with how much I love the sea. And not just because it is right out my back door, but because it can never be predicted. Even when you think that you are sailing through still waters, it could change at any moment and the water can turn on you, putting you in immediate danger. It is the unpredictability that fascinates me......" And she keeps talking to him like that for some time, telling him everything she can think of about herself to him. When he starts to tell her about his life, she leans against his shoulder and against her will she falls into a light sleep. But the sleep is deep enough that she doesn't feel him lift her in his arms and carry her inside.

He smiles and gets up, then he carefully lifts her into his arms and carries her into the Golden Hall and to the room she had been given. He smiles at the guard standing by her door, nodding his thanks to him as he opens the door for them. He walks inside and carefully places Lothiriel down on the bed in the room. He then pulls her shoes off her and places them neatly by the bed. He watches her for a moment before he carefully pulls a blanket over her and leans down to place a light kiss on her lips. "Sleep well, my dear Lothiriel." He straightens and then quietly leaves the room, nodding to the guard to have one of Eowyn's handmaidens check in on Lothiriel in an hour. He himself heads to his own room, his mind not anywhere near the idea of checking on Eowyn. He was too busy thinking about Lothiriel. She was so beautiful, he thinks as he pulls his boots off and his overcoat. He leaves his things sprawled out on the floor. Then when he is only wearing his undershirt and leggings he climbs into bed and smiles. He starts to fall asleep, sighing as his mind again turns to Lothiriel. He hoped he would dream about her tonight. In no time at all that is just what he was doing.


When asked if she wanted him to walk her to her room, she nods instantly, smiling and then nodding a few more times, this time to the guards. She puts on a good show for the men as she walks from the room in almost silence, not saying or doing anything until the door was closed behind them. Then she is returning his kiss with as much passion as he kisses her with, melting her body against his and feeling as if her heart was going to burst from her chest. When he finally pulls back, she clears her throat, a brow arching perfectly. "We will not get our chance? Was it not you who suggested you sneak into my room tonight? I mean if it wasn't we better start looking, because I remember a very handsome gentleman suggesting a midnight meeting of our bodies and souls and I nodded. Was my nod not firm enough? Or should I be looking for another man to sneak into my bedroom in a few and I should be pushing you out so that he doesn't get interrupted." She teases him, hurt slightly that he would forget she had agreed to him sneaking in that night, wondering is maybe he had changed his mind and didn't know how to tell her.

Faramir gives her a mock hurt look. "You have other men coming to your room tonight? I shall take my leave then. For I do not wish to see that." He starts to pull away but smiles when she huffs in annoyance and pulls him back. With a grin on his face he returns the passionate kiss she gives him and then pulls away again, this time smiling. "Aye, I remembered, Eowyn. Perhaps then I should lock the door? So that if your brother does come to check, I may have sufficient time to run?" He sees her smile and leans down to kiss her before letting her go and turning to put the latch on the door.

She reaches out to quickly stop him, shaking her head. "No, Faramir, not yet. We must show me going to bed, even if for only show. If he were to return now and find you in my room with the door locked, we will be wed tomorrow." She can't help but laugh, and heartily too because the funny thing was, it was true. Her brother would do whatever it took to make sure that no one talked about her and that she remained in the highest of standings with her people. "No, for now I think that we should make a point that you are here, not too much of one, but enough of one. We will leave the door open and have a seat, near the window, and play a game of chess." No one could see them in the window, it was just that there was a lovely candle there and the last of the setting light.

He pouts slightly, as only he could. But she was right. Now wouldn't be the time. But damn if he didn't feel it was. With a deep sigh he nods and smiles. "Yes of course you are right. But perhaps he will be too distracted with my cousin to notice us?" He gives her a hopeful look but then sighs when she smiles and says no. "Fine then. I'll open the door. You set up the chess board. I play either side." He turns and opens the door to the very flustered face of one of Eowyn's handmaidens who was just about to come in. With a smile he nods to the girl as she comes rushing in, probably expecting to find her lady naked and in bed. He laughs softly and shakes his head as he leaves the door open and then walks over to where Eowyn was sitting before the window. He nods politely again to the handmaiden as Eowyn dismisses her, and then he looks at Eowyn. "I was not aware you played chess. Forgive me, but I would think it was too boring a game for you."

She settles into her chair across from him, taking the black side, thus making him go first. "Chess is not boring, chess is far from boring. You have to use your brain in chess, thinking ahead of not only yourself, but your opponent. I have seen you play my brother, do not forget. I know that you are very good, so I know that you will be able to beat me most likely. However I think that I can give you a good game, if only a short one." She moves her knight and then looks up. "And it is a nice game to have a chat over." Sitting there she carefully kicks off a shoe under the little table they were playing across. When he moves, she leans over to make her move, her body moving as well as her foot. She carefully uses her toes to trace designs on the inside of his ankle, her eyes on the game but her mind not following it very well, rather on his ankle and the reaction she had just gotten for her little action.

He smiles at her, moving a pawn out before he looks up at her again. "Boromir was much better at chess than I. Though before he died, we had a game that is unfinished." He watches her move out her knight and instead of rushing in and capturing her knight like some would, he instead studies the board. That is he studies it until he feels something soft brush up against his ankle. He had removed his boots before sitting down, the room was warm and he didn't feel the need to have his boots soaked with sweat so he had removed them and set them by the door. Therefore there was nothing between her toes and his foot. And it was the most interesting sensation he had ever felt. Very distracting. "What are you doing, M'Lady?" He glances up at her as he moves another piece, smiling slightly. He had left her knight alone, but not given her anything to capture with it either. And his move wasn't that great, not because it was the beginning of the game but because her toes, that were now moving a little up his pant leg, were distracting him.

She looks at him innocently, the look one of a child trying to prove they didn't do something when in fact it was clear that they did and they could no longer avoid being caught. "I am doing nothing, Faramir. I don't have any idea what you are talking about." But her toes were now running along his calf, her toes and the ball of her foot gently rubbing against him. She was having too much fun messing with him, trying to get him to loose his concentration. She moves her castle, being careful where she moves it, so that it can't be taken, yet she misses opening her pawn up to an attack, though she wasn't paying attention, just to him. She knew that she would miss him dearly come morning and she wanted tonight to be as special as she could. She tickles her toes further up his calf till his pant leg makes her stop.

He studies the board, trying to ignore the feelings her foot was causing to run through him. With a smirk he sees an opening and takes her pawn, but leaves one of his own pawns in striking distance of her knight. Not to worry. He could lose a pawn or two. That was what Boromir would always say whenever Faramir would take one of Boromir's pawns. He notices her foot stop when his pants stop the foot and he grins slightly, looking across the table at her. "Perhaps it would help if I removed my pants all together?"

Even though they had made plans to do just that, him saying it like he just did, as if it was the most common thing for him to take his pants off in front of her and it shocks her, causing her to inhale quickly and start to choke on her own saliva., her face turning red as she tries to cough and yet relax so that she will be able to breath properly. It wasn't working very well.

He looks up at her and frowns. "Darling, are you alright?" He waits for her to nod and then relaxes, smiling and shaking his head. "What happened? Was it my suggestion of my pants coming off?"

She finally is able to breath normal, her eyes all red and watery and panting slightly as she tries to get a normal breath. "Yes, I am alright. And yes, Faramir! You said it as if you were indeed going to get up and take your pants off! I half expected you to do so! Now no scaring me like that, it isn't l nice either. And just for that," she reaches over and her bishop takes his queen. "That is too bad." But she didn't look like she was sorry in the least for her actions.

He stares dumbfounded at the board. She had taken his queen. It was a legal move too, not a trick like his father used to pull. He scratches at the stubble on his chin and frowns, trying to figure out what exactly happened and what he could do now. It is a very long while later when he finally sees his mistake, he had been distracted and moved the wrong piece at the wrong time. With a sigh he looks at her. "You are cunning, Eowyn, distracting me as you did." He smiles at her and then looks back at the board, leaning forward slightly as he looks it over, studying everything. Finally he moves his bishop out, then sits back and waits for her move. "When should I return?"

She reaches over and lays a hand over the top of his, rubbing her thumb over the back of his hand in an intimate gesture. "I still say that I should be the one sneaking into your room. But there is one thing that I have learned about you, Faramir. It is no use trying to argue with you when you have your mind set. You are stubborn. Too stubborn. So, I will not needle you about it again. How about an hour after we retire? Can you wait that long?" She moves a pawn.

"No but I will force myself too." He smiles at her and makes his move, capturing her bishop with his and putting himself into position to attack her king. "Check." He sits back and waits for her move, watching her carefully. "And what shall you be wearing when I come to visit you?"

She looks up from the board, her eyes wide from shock. "AS IF I would tell you!" She shakes her head, moving her queen over. "Check mate." She can't help but smirk. "And perfect timing. You should be going to bed. I need to get ready for bed." She leans across the table and kisses his forehead as he stares at the board, sitting back to look at him questioningly. "What? You put me in check and the only way out was to put you in check mate."

He stares at the board, a look of pure shock on his face. He scratches at his head as he tries to figure out where he had gone wrong. When she kisses his forehead he still doesn't look up. He sees finally where he went wrong. He had underestimated her. She was better than he thought. With a deep sigh he looks at her. "Must I leave now?" He sees her smile and nod and he gets up and walks over to his boots. He pulls them on and then looks at her. "One hour?" He sees her nod and smiles when she comes over and kisses him. He returns her kiss, holding her close, before he pulls back. "Alright. One hour and I shall return." He smiles and leans down to kiss her again before he turns and leaves the room, heading down the hall to his own room. Once there he closes the door and starts to pace, counting down in his head. After about 15 minutes of this he sighs and lays down on his bed. If he had not taken a bath after returning from the ride they had all gone on, he would have taken one now. But he had so he instead just pulls off his boots and lays down on his bed and waits.