A/N: well, i was fortunate enough to receive an extremely detailed
review which has prompted me to think about making a couple changes in
my story. i replaced chapter one, but you need not go back and reread
it...i just took out a couple sentences and added a new one. also, i
have noticed that the emotions of my characters have been, well,
unapparent, so i am going to make a conscious effort to fix that.
please help me by letting me know if i do it well.
::disclaimer:: i don't own any of it. if you haven't learned that by now, you must not have read my disclaimers.
Chapter XXII
May, T.A. 3021
Eomer was not at dinner that night. Lothiriel was upset, for she had hoped to give him the gift she and Sarn had found at the market. It was a dagger, overlaid with mithril, with a hilt in the likeness of a swan. Sarn had actually found it, but they both agreed that it would suit Eomer perfectly. "It is a gift worthy of your betrothed," Sarn had said, with a slightly pained smile.
"Aye," she had replied. "I hope he will appreciate it."
But alas, Eomer had not come to the meal. Lothiriel sat at the table, dejectedly picking at her food until enough time had passed that she was able to leave without insulting anyone. She excused herself immediately and went to her room. He had not come to dinner, and she felt slighted. She yanked a brush through her hair, but abandoned it quickly. She threw the brush down, restless, but unable to do anything. At last, she decided to go on to bed.
She would speak to Eomer in the morning.
Lothiriel was a liar. A real one. Eomer was upset, for he had truly believed that she loved him. Had she not said so that afternoon? But then he had seen her with that tronking sailor Sarn. They had kissed! Twice! In the center of the marketplace! He was furious and had every right to be, he reasoned. Lothiriel had lied to him.
His blood boiled at that truth. He paced in his room, unsure of what to do. It was too late to go to Lothiriel and cancel the wedding tonight. Eomer sighed. There was nothing he could do for now, except go to bed.
He would speak with Lothiriel in the morning.
Lothiriel awoke to the sound of someone pounding on the door. "Just a minute!" she called as she threw on a robe. She opened the door. "Eomer! What are you doing here?"
"Lothiriel, we must talk," he replied icily.
She wrapped her robe more tightly around her. "Let me get dressed, and I'll be with you in a moment, alright?"
"If that is what you wish."
Lothiriel shut the door behind her, disturbed by the tone of Eomer's voice. He had not spoken to her like that since he had taken her from Bree. Something was troubling him for certain, but what, she had no idea. Maybe he was just tired, she decided, though deep down she knew that wasn't true. She finished braiding her hair, tied it, and was ready. She opened the door to Eomer's unsmiling face again and said, "You wanted to talk with me?"
"Yes." His face was stony. "Outside."
"All right." Lothiriel followed in silence half a step behind Eomer as he walked through the corridors. She knew it would be impossible to get him to say anything until they had arrived at their destination--wherever that was.
It turned out that their destination was the same beach they had been the day before. Eomer stopped suddenly and spun around, causing Lothiriel to crash into him and land on the ground. "You lied," he said.
"What?"
"You lied to me. You said you loved me. You let me kiss you. And then you go to that mangy sailor of yours and kiss him. Twice! In the middle of the market!" Eomer began to pace, his anger building.
Lothiriel gasped. He meant Sarn and the blessings...he had seen? "Eomer, no, I can explain--"
"Don't. I don't want to know. But tell me, princess," he said, mockery and anger seeping into his voice like venom, "if he has your heart, why do you not wed him?"
"He--I--Eomer, will you just listen to me for a moment!? Sarn told me something yesterday, and I feel you should know. He asked me...he wanted me to marry him, but I said no."
"Why?"
"Because I am to marry you," she answered, hoping that was enough to slake his fury.
"So you will wed me," Eomer stated. "A second-hand choice because the one you truly love is not royal enough. Agh! Lothiriel, I thought you were above that! Were you not a lady, and had I a weapon, I would put a sword through your heart! One week--one, single week hence we are to wed, and now I learn that you do not love me! One week!" he shouted at her.
"No, Eomer, that's not what I meant. Please," she pleaded, "let me explain. You don't understand, it--"
"I don't understand?" he echoed. His eyes flashed dangerously, and Lothiriel wondered if he would strike her."You kiss a man in the middle of the market, and you say I don't understand? What is there to understand? I saw him kiss you and you kiss him. There is nothing else that needs to be explained. You are sadly mistaken, madame, if you thought you could have lovers on the side. Goodbye, princess." Eomer began to walk back to the city.
"Eomer, wait! Where are you going?" she called after him, struggling to get up. He stopped, turned, and walked back to where she stood.
"Home," he spat. "To Rohan. Where the women do not lie to those that love them."
A/N (again): and so the destruction is complete. the lord of horses has fled the side of the swan of amroth. never again shall they come together. never again shall they touch lips. never again shall either know happiness. oh, a more bitter parting has never been seen!
::disclaimer:: i don't own any of it. if you haven't learned that by now, you must not have read my disclaimers.
Chapter XXII
May, T.A. 3021
Eomer was not at dinner that night. Lothiriel was upset, for she had hoped to give him the gift she and Sarn had found at the market. It was a dagger, overlaid with mithril, with a hilt in the likeness of a swan. Sarn had actually found it, but they both agreed that it would suit Eomer perfectly. "It is a gift worthy of your betrothed," Sarn had said, with a slightly pained smile.
"Aye," she had replied. "I hope he will appreciate it."
But alas, Eomer had not come to the meal. Lothiriel sat at the table, dejectedly picking at her food until enough time had passed that she was able to leave without insulting anyone. She excused herself immediately and went to her room. He had not come to dinner, and she felt slighted. She yanked a brush through her hair, but abandoned it quickly. She threw the brush down, restless, but unable to do anything. At last, she decided to go on to bed.
She would speak to Eomer in the morning.
Lothiriel was a liar. A real one. Eomer was upset, for he had truly believed that she loved him. Had she not said so that afternoon? But then he had seen her with that tronking sailor Sarn. They had kissed! Twice! In the center of the marketplace! He was furious and had every right to be, he reasoned. Lothiriel had lied to him.
His blood boiled at that truth. He paced in his room, unsure of what to do. It was too late to go to Lothiriel and cancel the wedding tonight. Eomer sighed. There was nothing he could do for now, except go to bed.
He would speak with Lothiriel in the morning.
Lothiriel awoke to the sound of someone pounding on the door. "Just a minute!" she called as she threw on a robe. She opened the door. "Eomer! What are you doing here?"
"Lothiriel, we must talk," he replied icily.
She wrapped her robe more tightly around her. "Let me get dressed, and I'll be with you in a moment, alright?"
"If that is what you wish."
Lothiriel shut the door behind her, disturbed by the tone of Eomer's voice. He had not spoken to her like that since he had taken her from Bree. Something was troubling him for certain, but what, she had no idea. Maybe he was just tired, she decided, though deep down she knew that wasn't true. She finished braiding her hair, tied it, and was ready. She opened the door to Eomer's unsmiling face again and said, "You wanted to talk with me?"
"Yes." His face was stony. "Outside."
"All right." Lothiriel followed in silence half a step behind Eomer as he walked through the corridors. She knew it would be impossible to get him to say anything until they had arrived at their destination--wherever that was.
It turned out that their destination was the same beach they had been the day before. Eomer stopped suddenly and spun around, causing Lothiriel to crash into him and land on the ground. "You lied," he said.
"What?"
"You lied to me. You said you loved me. You let me kiss you. And then you go to that mangy sailor of yours and kiss him. Twice! In the middle of the market!" Eomer began to pace, his anger building.
Lothiriel gasped. He meant Sarn and the blessings...he had seen? "Eomer, no, I can explain--"
"Don't. I don't want to know. But tell me, princess," he said, mockery and anger seeping into his voice like venom, "if he has your heart, why do you not wed him?"
"He--I--Eomer, will you just listen to me for a moment!? Sarn told me something yesterday, and I feel you should know. He asked me...he wanted me to marry him, but I said no."
"Why?"
"Because I am to marry you," she answered, hoping that was enough to slake his fury.
"So you will wed me," Eomer stated. "A second-hand choice because the one you truly love is not royal enough. Agh! Lothiriel, I thought you were above that! Were you not a lady, and had I a weapon, I would put a sword through your heart! One week--one, single week hence we are to wed, and now I learn that you do not love me! One week!" he shouted at her.
"No, Eomer, that's not what I meant. Please," she pleaded, "let me explain. You don't understand, it--"
"I don't understand?" he echoed. His eyes flashed dangerously, and Lothiriel wondered if he would strike her."You kiss a man in the middle of the market, and you say I don't understand? What is there to understand? I saw him kiss you and you kiss him. There is nothing else that needs to be explained. You are sadly mistaken, madame, if you thought you could have lovers on the side. Goodbye, princess." Eomer began to walk back to the city.
"Eomer, wait! Where are you going?" she called after him, struggling to get up. He stopped, turned, and walked back to where she stood.
"Home," he spat. "To Rohan. Where the women do not lie to those that love them."
A/N (again): and so the destruction is complete. the lord of horses has fled the side of the swan of amroth. never again shall they come together. never again shall they touch lips. never again shall either know happiness. oh, a more bitter parting has never been seen!