A/N: i'm very excited to announce that i got my first-ever REAL critique!!! YAY!!! thankies muchly to balrogthane for being completely honest about my story.
**disclaimer** you know the routine: i don't own anything or anybody except mista, benn, and thalion (who are all ignored for the most part in this chapter). nothing else to my name, not even a tin of anchovies.
Chapter VIII
March, T.A. 3021
The rest of the journey south was uneventful for the most part. They traveled on the Greenway, heading south to the Gap of Rohan (hehe..the GAP...uh, never mind). The weather was clear and cool, and the travelers made good time. Eomer estimated that they would be in Edoras before the end of the month.
Meanwhile, Lothiriel was getting to know the king of Rohan. They spoke only of pleasant things, never mentioning their pending wedding. She found that he was in fact more amiable than he had seemed in Rivendell. His manner lightened and loosened the further south they journeyed. Lothiriel decided that he would not be so unbearable as a husband as she had initially thought. She smiled somewhat sadly at this realization, and Eomer noticed. He guided Firefoot over to her. "Something upsets you, my lady?" he asked.
She turned to look at him, her smile brighter. "I was just thinking that if this uninhabited land is this beautiful, Rohan must be as beautiful as the sea."
"The sea, Lothiriel?" piped up Mista. "That is a fitting comparison for the land of the Horse-lords. Only it is a sea of grass instead of water."
"A sea of grass?" asked Lothiriel, wide-eyed. "Is that true, my lord?"
Eomer laughed. "Truly, I could not tell you, my lady, for I have never been to the sea. But tell me, did you not travel through Rohan on your journey to Rivendell?"
"Nay, my lord. I have never been through this part of Middle-Earth." She smiled at his incredulous look. "Do not look so surprised. My father sent me to the Grey Havens by ship where two Rangers waited to escort me to Lord Elrond's House. He had deemed it unsafe for me to travel through these lands. Besides, that was ten years ago, and I would probably not remember it well."
"Ten years?" repeated Eomer.
"Aye. Ten long years I've been away from my homeland. 'Tis high time I returned." Lothiriel looked away and continued down the road. The others followed her in silence.
************
That night, the travelers stopped at Tharbad. Eomer had been deep in thought for most of the day and decided to speak with Lothiriel. When she rose from her bed by the campfire to wash her face in the nearby stream, Eomer seized his chance. "My lady?" he said.
She turned to look at him. "Yes?"
"It is not wise to walk alone in this land. There are foul creatures and fouler men who wander the wilds of Dunland. I will escort you?" He phrased it as a question. Lothiriel nodded, and the two made their way to the stream, unaware of the meaningful glances exchanged by the companions they left behind.
When they reached the stream, Lothiriel turned to Eomer. "What is the real reason that you wanted me alone?" Eomer blinked in surprise. "I have three older brothers, milord; I can tell when a man wants to be alone with a woman. Now, what is the reason?"
"I wanted to talk to you...about our marriage." He took a deep breath. "I think--"
"We have to make the best of it," interrupted Lothiriel. "Do not worry, milord, I have no plans of running off again. I will cause you no more trouble."
Something in her voice pained the young king. Resignation. He moved closer to her. "My lady," he whispered, "do not hide yourself away on my account. It is what nearly killed my sister." He closed the gap between them, taking her head in his hands. Silently, softly, he kissed her. "You are a daughter of the lords of Numenor. Your spirit should be free, and if that means we do not marry, so be it." He walked away, leaving Lothiriel by the stream with tears in her eyes.
"Milord," she called. He stopped and returned to where she stood.
"Yes?"
Lothiriel smiled tentatively. "I will marry you happily if you promise me something."
"Anything, my lady."
"Call me Lothiriel."
"If you will do one thing for me, Lothiriel." Her name sounded sweet upon his lips. She nodded. "Call me Eomer."
**disclaimer** you know the routine: i don't own anything or anybody except mista, benn, and thalion (who are all ignored for the most part in this chapter). nothing else to my name, not even a tin of anchovies.
Chapter VIII
March, T.A. 3021
The rest of the journey south was uneventful for the most part. They traveled on the Greenway, heading south to the Gap of Rohan (hehe..the GAP...uh, never mind). The weather was clear and cool, and the travelers made good time. Eomer estimated that they would be in Edoras before the end of the month.
Meanwhile, Lothiriel was getting to know the king of Rohan. They spoke only of pleasant things, never mentioning their pending wedding. She found that he was in fact more amiable than he had seemed in Rivendell. His manner lightened and loosened the further south they journeyed. Lothiriel decided that he would not be so unbearable as a husband as she had initially thought. She smiled somewhat sadly at this realization, and Eomer noticed. He guided Firefoot over to her. "Something upsets you, my lady?" he asked.
She turned to look at him, her smile brighter. "I was just thinking that if this uninhabited land is this beautiful, Rohan must be as beautiful as the sea."
"The sea, Lothiriel?" piped up Mista. "That is a fitting comparison for the land of the Horse-lords. Only it is a sea of grass instead of water."
"A sea of grass?" asked Lothiriel, wide-eyed. "Is that true, my lord?"
Eomer laughed. "Truly, I could not tell you, my lady, for I have never been to the sea. But tell me, did you not travel through Rohan on your journey to Rivendell?"
"Nay, my lord. I have never been through this part of Middle-Earth." She smiled at his incredulous look. "Do not look so surprised. My father sent me to the Grey Havens by ship where two Rangers waited to escort me to Lord Elrond's House. He had deemed it unsafe for me to travel through these lands. Besides, that was ten years ago, and I would probably not remember it well."
"Ten years?" repeated Eomer.
"Aye. Ten long years I've been away from my homeland. 'Tis high time I returned." Lothiriel looked away and continued down the road. The others followed her in silence.
************
That night, the travelers stopped at Tharbad. Eomer had been deep in thought for most of the day and decided to speak with Lothiriel. When she rose from her bed by the campfire to wash her face in the nearby stream, Eomer seized his chance. "My lady?" he said.
She turned to look at him. "Yes?"
"It is not wise to walk alone in this land. There are foul creatures and fouler men who wander the wilds of Dunland. I will escort you?" He phrased it as a question. Lothiriel nodded, and the two made their way to the stream, unaware of the meaningful glances exchanged by the companions they left behind.
When they reached the stream, Lothiriel turned to Eomer. "What is the real reason that you wanted me alone?" Eomer blinked in surprise. "I have three older brothers, milord; I can tell when a man wants to be alone with a woman. Now, what is the reason?"
"I wanted to talk to you...about our marriage." He took a deep breath. "I think--"
"We have to make the best of it," interrupted Lothiriel. "Do not worry, milord, I have no plans of running off again. I will cause you no more trouble."
Something in her voice pained the young king. Resignation. He moved closer to her. "My lady," he whispered, "do not hide yourself away on my account. It is what nearly killed my sister." He closed the gap between them, taking her head in his hands. Silently, softly, he kissed her. "You are a daughter of the lords of Numenor. Your spirit should be free, and if that means we do not marry, so be it." He walked away, leaving Lothiriel by the stream with tears in her eyes.
"Milord," she called. He stopped and returned to where she stood.
"Yes?"
Lothiriel smiled tentatively. "I will marry you happily if you promise me something."
"Anything, my lady."
"Call me Lothiriel."
"If you will do one thing for me, Lothiriel." Her name sounded sweet upon his lips. She nodded. "Call me Eomer."