A/N: i have finally returned from the dark abyss of the triangle of
doom (aka the bermuda triangle) and now i can at last try to update.
and to compensate for the long wait, i have taken what could have been
two short chapters and turned them into one long one. i actually have
most of the last chapters written, but now i must go through the
tiresome task of typing it all into cohesive chapters ('tis the same
situation with my troy story, for those of you who have been reading
it). anyways, thankies muchly for all your reviews, as long as you keep
reading, i'll keep writing (who am i kidding? i'll keep writing even if
you don't review! but reviews are nice, even if they're mean)!
::disclaimer:: if i owned any of this, you wouldn't be able to see it yet, because i'd have to wait until i was finished writing it to get it published. as it is, i get to torture everyone with my plot twists and long waits between updates. hehe.....
Chapter XXI
May, T.A. 3021
As the afternoon grew older, Eomer and Lothiriel decided to walk along the beach. The tide was flowing in, washing the sand from beneath their bare feet. Lothiriel took a deep breath and stopped to look out at the horizon. "I will miss the salt air," she told Eomer.
He turned to her, stopping as well. "You can visit it any time you wish, my love."
"Yes, but it won't be the same. The sea changes every time you see it."
Eomer raised his eyebrows. "Does it?"
"Yes. It's been ten years since I left my home, but I can still see the ocean exactly the way it was. It's different now. More peaceful. As though Lord Ulmo has blessed the world with smoother waters now that the War has ended. A good change." She smiled at him, though sorrow filled her eyes. "Not all change is good, though."
Eomer stepped closer. "Isn't it?" He moved to grab her waist, but Lothiriel pulled away.
"Not always. Anger and hate lead to bad changes." Lothiriel began to walk as she spoke, doing her best to keep ahead of the Rohirric lord--and out of his reach. "Take the reasons behind the War, for example. Had the Dark Lord not been filled with such hate for Men and Elves, much of what has happened this age would not have occurred."
"Those may have been bad changes at first," replied Eomer, keeping pace with the princess, "but we would not be together were it not for the War." He shuddered with the sudden realization that it was quite possible that Theodred would be Lothiriel if he had lived through the War. Her beauty would have still graced the halls of Meduseld, but in the arms of another man.
Lothiriel kept walking, unaware that Eomer had stopped. She was doing her best to stay aloof until the wedding, but his constant nearness was beginning to wear away her resolve. There would be plenty of time for the two to be lovers afterward, she told herself. It was hard, though: she could barely stop herself from kissing him there on the beach, where they were alone. Lothiriel paused for a moment. Eomer had not caught up with her which was very uncharacteristic of him. She was turning around when she heard a great shout. Lothiriel turned completely just in time to be knocked over by Eomer's hulking frame. He immediately began to kiss every piece of exposed skin on her body.
Lothiriel laughed. "Eomer!" she shrieked. "Stop it! Ooh! that tickles!" She shivered as he kissed her neck, each brush of his lips sending explosions of heat up her spine.
"I," he said amid the kisses, "love you. I...adore you...like no other. You--" he ceased his kisses for a moment to look her in the eye "--fill my life with joy beyond belief. I love you, Lothiriel. Deeply and truly, I can--and will--spend the rest of my days with no other."
His words sobered Lothiriel quickly. She sat up, tears welling in her eyes. She turned away, but Eomer saw the hurt behind her smile this time. He pulled away, silently cursing himself for being too forward. "Have I offended you, my lady?" he asked, not sure that he wanted to hear her answer.
"No."
"Then what is wrong?" He looked at her intently.
"Eomer, I love you, too, but...." she paused a moment, considering her next words. "We must wait," she said at last. "You know it as well as I. It doesn't matter for Erchirion, who is a second son marrying a merchant's daughter. But it does matter for us. You are a king, and I am the only daughter of a prince. We must wait. And you must stop tempting me," she laughed, though tears filled her voice for some unidentified reason. "If you keep kissing me like that, I don't think I'll be able to hold you off." The moment she said these words, Lothiriel knew she'd made a mistake, for a mischievous grin had begun to spread across Eomer's face. "Don't look at me like that," she snapped.
"Like what?" he asked, grinning wider.
"Like you're going to eat me."
"Lothiriel, why would I eat you?"
This caught the princess off guard. "Because you are a scoundrel," she said and threw a clod of sand at him.
"Now that's not fair!" he cried, wiping sand from his eyes. He opened them, only to see that Lothiriel had taken off back toward their picnic grounds. "Come back here!"
Laughing, the princess called behind her. "Never! You'll have to catch me first!"
Eomer sighed and lifted himself up from the ground. He gave chase, following Lothiriel as she ran back to the blanket with the food. She swung up into Telan's saddle, heading for the path they had used that morning. Eomer at last reached the picnic grounds. Lothiriel had kindly left him the food basket and the blanket. He sighed again and began to gather the leftovers into the basket. He strapped it to Firefoot's saddle and slowly made his way up to the city.
"Lothiriel!" She turned at the sound of Sarn's voice. He ran to her. "How are you today, my lady?" he asked, matching her stride as she led Telan through the crowded market.
"Well, thank you, though the excitement of next week has me giddier than I have been in years. And you?"
"Well enough. Lothiriel, I have a matter of utmost importance I must discuss with you."
"Discuss away," she said, waving her hand.
"I saw you with Lord Eomer today on the beach," he blurted. "I was walking on the city walls and saw him accost you. I would have come to your aid, but you escaped him. Lothiriel, I don't want you to marry him, not after that display."
Lothiriel would have laughed, but she saw that her friend was serious. "It was nothing to worry about, I assure you. Eomer just, well, the wait is taxing him, I think."
"I still would not have you marry him."
"Who would you have me marry, then?"
"Me." Lothiriel stopped walking. Sarn gulped and continued, "I love you, Lothiriel."
She turned to him, her brow furrowed slightly. "How do you love me, Sarn?"
"I love you as the dolphins love the sea, and the swans the sky. Were you not to marry Lord Eomer, I would have asked for your hand ages ago."
"How long ago?"
Sarn walked closer to her. "Before you left for Rivendell."
Confusion swept across Lothiriel's face. "But I was not betrothed to him then."
"I would have asked for your hand then, but I was a lowly sailor. I wanted to be a captain before I asked for your hand." He laughed bitterly. "It seems I waited too long."
"Oh, Sarn!" she cried and hugged him. "I am sorry. You were honest with me, so I shall be honest with you. Had you told me this before Rivendell--yea, even just a few months ago, in March--I would have married you and left Eomer to do what he will. But now, Sarn, now I will not, for I do not--nay, I cannot--love you. Not the way you love me. I love you as I do my brothers. My heart is elsewhere, with the very man whose name I cursed so many months ago. It can never be given to you."
Her words cut Sarn deeply. "He is a lucky man, the one who holds your heart."
"Yes." She smiled.
Sarn sighed. "Then I suppose I can only give you my blessing. May your life be long and full of love, Lothiriel. May your future be bright as the stars of Varda." And when he had finished speaking, he kissed Lothiriel on the lips to seal the blessing.
"May Ulmo grant you fair sailing, and may you have the peace of the world," she said, returning the blessing and the kiss as custom dictated. She smiled sweetly at her old friend. "Now, Sarn, I need your help. I am looking for a gift."
"What kind of a gift, Lothiriel?" he asked, bemused, and glad that she had handled his confession well.
"A special kind, a secret surprise. The best kind!" she exclaimed, and the two wandered through the market together just as they had ten years earlier, neither aware of the dark eyes that had seen their embrace.
A/N (again): and now at last we see the turning of the tide, the beginning of the destruction of the ONE who would separate our fair lovers. the dark eyes have seen, and none shall withstand the bitter anger that will soon sweep across the land. no one, not even the fairest swan of amroth........
::disclaimer:: if i owned any of this, you wouldn't be able to see it yet, because i'd have to wait until i was finished writing it to get it published. as it is, i get to torture everyone with my plot twists and long waits between updates. hehe.....
Chapter XXI
May, T.A. 3021
As the afternoon grew older, Eomer and Lothiriel decided to walk along the beach. The tide was flowing in, washing the sand from beneath their bare feet. Lothiriel took a deep breath and stopped to look out at the horizon. "I will miss the salt air," she told Eomer.
He turned to her, stopping as well. "You can visit it any time you wish, my love."
"Yes, but it won't be the same. The sea changes every time you see it."
Eomer raised his eyebrows. "Does it?"
"Yes. It's been ten years since I left my home, but I can still see the ocean exactly the way it was. It's different now. More peaceful. As though Lord Ulmo has blessed the world with smoother waters now that the War has ended. A good change." She smiled at him, though sorrow filled her eyes. "Not all change is good, though."
Eomer stepped closer. "Isn't it?" He moved to grab her waist, but Lothiriel pulled away.
"Not always. Anger and hate lead to bad changes." Lothiriel began to walk as she spoke, doing her best to keep ahead of the Rohirric lord--and out of his reach. "Take the reasons behind the War, for example. Had the Dark Lord not been filled with such hate for Men and Elves, much of what has happened this age would not have occurred."
"Those may have been bad changes at first," replied Eomer, keeping pace with the princess, "but we would not be together were it not for the War." He shuddered with the sudden realization that it was quite possible that Theodred would be Lothiriel if he had lived through the War. Her beauty would have still graced the halls of Meduseld, but in the arms of another man.
Lothiriel kept walking, unaware that Eomer had stopped. She was doing her best to stay aloof until the wedding, but his constant nearness was beginning to wear away her resolve. There would be plenty of time for the two to be lovers afterward, she told herself. It was hard, though: she could barely stop herself from kissing him there on the beach, where they were alone. Lothiriel paused for a moment. Eomer had not caught up with her which was very uncharacteristic of him. She was turning around when she heard a great shout. Lothiriel turned completely just in time to be knocked over by Eomer's hulking frame. He immediately began to kiss every piece of exposed skin on her body.
Lothiriel laughed. "Eomer!" she shrieked. "Stop it! Ooh! that tickles!" She shivered as he kissed her neck, each brush of his lips sending explosions of heat up her spine.
"I," he said amid the kisses, "love you. I...adore you...like no other. You--" he ceased his kisses for a moment to look her in the eye "--fill my life with joy beyond belief. I love you, Lothiriel. Deeply and truly, I can--and will--spend the rest of my days with no other."
His words sobered Lothiriel quickly. She sat up, tears welling in her eyes. She turned away, but Eomer saw the hurt behind her smile this time. He pulled away, silently cursing himself for being too forward. "Have I offended you, my lady?" he asked, not sure that he wanted to hear her answer.
"No."
"Then what is wrong?" He looked at her intently.
"Eomer, I love you, too, but...." she paused a moment, considering her next words. "We must wait," she said at last. "You know it as well as I. It doesn't matter for Erchirion, who is a second son marrying a merchant's daughter. But it does matter for us. You are a king, and I am the only daughter of a prince. We must wait. And you must stop tempting me," she laughed, though tears filled her voice for some unidentified reason. "If you keep kissing me like that, I don't think I'll be able to hold you off." The moment she said these words, Lothiriel knew she'd made a mistake, for a mischievous grin had begun to spread across Eomer's face. "Don't look at me like that," she snapped.
"Like what?" he asked, grinning wider.
"Like you're going to eat me."
"Lothiriel, why would I eat you?"
This caught the princess off guard. "Because you are a scoundrel," she said and threw a clod of sand at him.
"Now that's not fair!" he cried, wiping sand from his eyes. He opened them, only to see that Lothiriel had taken off back toward their picnic grounds. "Come back here!"
Laughing, the princess called behind her. "Never! You'll have to catch me first!"
Eomer sighed and lifted himself up from the ground. He gave chase, following Lothiriel as she ran back to the blanket with the food. She swung up into Telan's saddle, heading for the path they had used that morning. Eomer at last reached the picnic grounds. Lothiriel had kindly left him the food basket and the blanket. He sighed again and began to gather the leftovers into the basket. He strapped it to Firefoot's saddle and slowly made his way up to the city.
"Lothiriel!" She turned at the sound of Sarn's voice. He ran to her. "How are you today, my lady?" he asked, matching her stride as she led Telan through the crowded market.
"Well, thank you, though the excitement of next week has me giddier than I have been in years. And you?"
"Well enough. Lothiriel, I have a matter of utmost importance I must discuss with you."
"Discuss away," she said, waving her hand.
"I saw you with Lord Eomer today on the beach," he blurted. "I was walking on the city walls and saw him accost you. I would have come to your aid, but you escaped him. Lothiriel, I don't want you to marry him, not after that display."
Lothiriel would have laughed, but she saw that her friend was serious. "It was nothing to worry about, I assure you. Eomer just, well, the wait is taxing him, I think."
"I still would not have you marry him."
"Who would you have me marry, then?"
"Me." Lothiriel stopped walking. Sarn gulped and continued, "I love you, Lothiriel."
She turned to him, her brow furrowed slightly. "How do you love me, Sarn?"
"I love you as the dolphins love the sea, and the swans the sky. Were you not to marry Lord Eomer, I would have asked for your hand ages ago."
"How long ago?"
Sarn walked closer to her. "Before you left for Rivendell."
Confusion swept across Lothiriel's face. "But I was not betrothed to him then."
"I would have asked for your hand then, but I was a lowly sailor. I wanted to be a captain before I asked for your hand." He laughed bitterly. "It seems I waited too long."
"Oh, Sarn!" she cried and hugged him. "I am sorry. You were honest with me, so I shall be honest with you. Had you told me this before Rivendell--yea, even just a few months ago, in March--I would have married you and left Eomer to do what he will. But now, Sarn, now I will not, for I do not--nay, I cannot--love you. Not the way you love me. I love you as I do my brothers. My heart is elsewhere, with the very man whose name I cursed so many months ago. It can never be given to you."
Her words cut Sarn deeply. "He is a lucky man, the one who holds your heart."
"Yes." She smiled.
Sarn sighed. "Then I suppose I can only give you my blessing. May your life be long and full of love, Lothiriel. May your future be bright as the stars of Varda." And when he had finished speaking, he kissed Lothiriel on the lips to seal the blessing.
"May Ulmo grant you fair sailing, and may you have the peace of the world," she said, returning the blessing and the kiss as custom dictated. She smiled sweetly at her old friend. "Now, Sarn, I need your help. I am looking for a gift."
"What kind of a gift, Lothiriel?" he asked, bemused, and glad that she had handled his confession well.
"A special kind, a secret surprise. The best kind!" she exclaimed, and the two wandered through the market together just as they had ten years earlier, neither aware of the dark eyes that had seen their embrace.
A/N (again): and now at last we see the turning of the tide, the beginning of the destruction of the ONE who would separate our fair lovers. the dark eyes have seen, and none shall withstand the bitter anger that will soon sweep across the land. no one, not even the fairest swan of amroth........