A/N: since there seemed to be some confusion as to why eowyn and faramir are in osgiliath, i thought i'd check my maps, and unless i looked at it wrong, ithilien isn't a city, it's the strip of land between the anduin and the mountains of shadow. osgiliath is located in ithilien, therefore, it would make sense for eowyn and faramir to be there.
arwen elf, i hope you like how i saved face where the nobility is concerned...it makes an interesting custom, even if it's not all that plausible.
btw, i think sarn has quietly moved away to dale or somewhere...i don't think he'll be back any time soon, but you never know......
::disclaimer:: i own EVERYTHING!!! MWA-HAHAHA!!! heh. that's a lie. i really own nothing except the people who aren't mentioned in the books (can't say in the movie, cuz that'd be a lie, too).
Chapter XXV
June, T.A. 3021
After Eomer was taken to a guest room, Eowyn went to the door Faramir had exited through. "You can come back, now," she said, opening the door.
"Where is he?" asked Faramir, glancing around.
"I sent him to bed," Eowyn replied, a grim smile on her face. "I think he's exhausted himself trying to stay angry at your cousin and trying not to admit that he still loves her, no matter what he saw." She put her arm around Faramir. "Do you think he was telling the truth of what happened?"
He shrugged. "It is quite possible that he saw them kiss twice, though if it was in the middle of the market, I highly doubt it was as ignoble as he claims. In Dol Amroth, kissing can mean many things: first and foremost, it is a sign of affection, but it can also be used as a greeting and in some cases, a way of sealing a blessing. I would guess that Lothiriel and Master Sarn were exchanging either greetings or blessings or both, otherwise we would have heard of the incident sooner."
"Should we tell Eomer, then?" she asked, looking up at her husband. "Or do we send him on his way?"
"I say we send him back to Dol Amroth. I doubt he'll believe it until he hears it from Lothiriel herself." He sighed, rubbing Eowyn's back. "I shall send a message to my uncle to let him know that Eomer returns."
As Lothiriel headed down the narrow path from the cabin to the creek, Erchirion began to split logs. It had been too long since anyone had been to the cove, and the hunting cabin was in much need of repairs. He set to work, whistling a sea chanty as he did so, though his mood was not really so cheerful. It bothered him that Eomer had not let his sister say her piece before leaving her; he had not given her a chance to explain the blessing. But the real question was: would Eomer ever give her another chance? Would he return to Dol Amroth? Or would Lothiriel have to make an effort to track him down? Erchirion despaired if this was the case; he doubted that Lothiriel would do such. She seemed so placid, so complacent. It was almost as if she no longer cared. Erchirion threw down the hatchet he'd been using. If Lothiriel no longer cared, he would find a way to make her care again. He could not stand seeing his sister waste away.
"He's coming back," Mista said as she read the message from Faramir. It had arrived on the leg of a messenger dove that morning. "Eowyn and Faramir are sending him off today."
"What should we do?" asked Elphir.
"What should we do?" repeated Imrahil. "We should do nothing. It's Lothiriel who has to handle this, not us."
"Yes, but should we send her a message? Let her prepare herself for the encounter?"
Mista could not help but laugh at this. "Elphir, you make it sound as if she is going to battle against a company of orcs. I promise you, Lord Eomer is not so dangerous."
"Are you sure of that?" he muttered in reply.
"Yes," she answered, rolling her eyes. She turned to the Prince. "Lord Imrahil, might I suggest that we send a message to Erchirion by hawk? I fear that if we alert Lothiriel, she will refuse to do anything except, perhaps, run away from him again."
Amrothos laughed slightly at this. "But, Mista, where would she run to? If she went to Minas Tirith, she would meet him on the road. And she cannot very well go to Rohan, for she would most certainly encounter him there at some point."
"Amrothos, you have forgotten your sister's ways," said Imrahil. "Do you not remember when she tried to escape going to Rivendell by sailing to the lost island of Numenor despite the fact that she knew it no longer existed? And with the forming alliance between Gondor and Harad, she could easily gain passage on a ship set for Umbar. I believe Mista is right. We must tell Erchirion, but not Lothiriel."
Lothiriel wandered down the path, humming along to the song Erchirion had been whistling. "Oh the times are hard and the wages low/ Milady, where you bound to?/ Minas Tirith is my home/ Across the Western Ocean." The chorus drifted across the wind as the siblings sang together, one on the roof of the cabin, the other headed to the springs.
Lothiriel was at peace with herself. She was not happy, necessarily, she mused as she sank into the water, shivering slightly at the cool temperature, but she was at peace. She would probably never find happiness like that which she had known for those short weeks in Rohan, but she could live with that. And live she would. She would return to Dol Amroth in a few days and become--become what? A healer? A teacher? Her possibilities were endless. Those ten years in Rivendell had done some good after all.
She sighed and leaned back in the pool, remembering the day her father had presented her with the news that she would be leaving for the Elf-haven.
flashback
Lothiriel was sixteen, just old enough to court. Her father and Faramir of all people had presented the idea to her. "It will be the safest place for you, Lothiriel," they said. "You won't have to worry about the corsairs attacking and carrying you off."
"But I don't want to leave you here," she argued. "Surely Amrothos and Erchirion and Elphir would run a greater risk staying here than I. Why do you not send them away as well?" They replied that her brothers were needed to fight. "Then I will fight beside them," she answered. "I can wield a glaive just as well as Amrothos. You both know that."
At last, Faramir convinced her to give in by saying, "Lothiriel, think of it, you will be able to learn from the Elves! Who else in all of Gondor can say that they have lived among the fairest folk in all of Arda? And when you return, you shall tell me of all your doings. Will you go then, to Rivendell?" Lothiriel finally accepted this proposal, but only so that Faramir would have a first-hand account of the Elves that he adored.
end flashback
But Lothiriel had not seen Faramir yet, though she had returned from Rivendell. She considered going to Erchirion and asking to go to Ithilien to visit their cousin, but then she remembered that Eomer's sister was his wife. At this thought, Lothiriel stiffened slightly. She suspected Faramir and Eowyn knew that the betrothal was broken, because they had been planning on visiting Dol Amroth a week after the wedding. Indeed, the entirety of the court was going to come to wish the couple success in their marriage. It was one of those strange customs that Lothiriel had never understood; why wouldn't the nobility from other cities come until after the wedding had taken place? Perhaps it was so the bride and groom could have a little privacy before all the well-wishers came to call, she thought. Or perhaps it was in case the wedding was broken off. That way, there wouldn't be a house full of guests anticipating a wedding feast, only to receive a cursory thank-you and farewell. She decided it was more likely the latter, but she would ask Erchirion to see if he knew.
Suddenly, she realized that Erchirion was no longer singing. This perplexed her. Had he gone hunting or fishing and forgot to tell her? Perplexed, Lothiriel pulled herself out of the pool and wrapped a towel around her waist. She gathered up her over-dress and shoes and made her way back down the path to the cabin where she found her brother sitting on top of the roof with a hawk upon his shoulder and a message in his hand. "Who writes?" she called up to him.
Erchirion startled slightly, sending the bird off into a tree. "It's Mista," he answered. "She says that everyone is well, and will we please return soon because father has a surprise for us."
Lothiriel sniffed at that. "Will you write back to her and say I'm not interested in any of father's 'surprises'? If it's really that important, they can send the surprise here."
"I will do that as soon as I finish the roof. I'm nearly done, and it seems I chose the right project to begin with. Look at that cloud!" Lothiriel looked to the dark storm cloud that was beginning to cover the sun. "It's going to storm tonight!" Had Lothiriel been paying closer attention to her brother's voice, she would have realized that Erchirion already had the beginnings of mischief in his head.
A/N (again): sorry this took so long to update. i had a bit of a mental block. not a ::whole:: lot in the way of plot development, but i thought it'd be a good time to make some relationship ties. also, really quickly, please answer this poll in your review!
1. do you like my characterizations of everyone? why or why not?
2. who's your favorite out of my canon characters? non-canon?
3. i have several companion stories in my head. which would you rather see first: lothiriel pre- rivendell (the flashback was a teaser for this); harrana and riordan's story; or eomer and lothiriel's children (i had the first chapter posted, but i deleted it due to major blockage and a crappy plot)?
4. would you rather have one of the above first or another eomer/lothiriel fic that has nothing to do with the other stories (it's slightly AU)?
thankies muchly for answering my questions!
arwen elf, i hope you like how i saved face where the nobility is concerned...it makes an interesting custom, even if it's not all that plausible.
btw, i think sarn has quietly moved away to dale or somewhere...i don't think he'll be back any time soon, but you never know......
::disclaimer:: i own EVERYTHING!!! MWA-HAHAHA!!! heh. that's a lie. i really own nothing except the people who aren't mentioned in the books (can't say in the movie, cuz that'd be a lie, too).
Chapter XXV
June, T.A. 3021
After Eomer was taken to a guest room, Eowyn went to the door Faramir had exited through. "You can come back, now," she said, opening the door.
"Where is he?" asked Faramir, glancing around.
"I sent him to bed," Eowyn replied, a grim smile on her face. "I think he's exhausted himself trying to stay angry at your cousin and trying not to admit that he still loves her, no matter what he saw." She put her arm around Faramir. "Do you think he was telling the truth of what happened?"
He shrugged. "It is quite possible that he saw them kiss twice, though if it was in the middle of the market, I highly doubt it was as ignoble as he claims. In Dol Amroth, kissing can mean many things: first and foremost, it is a sign of affection, but it can also be used as a greeting and in some cases, a way of sealing a blessing. I would guess that Lothiriel and Master Sarn were exchanging either greetings or blessings or both, otherwise we would have heard of the incident sooner."
"Should we tell Eomer, then?" she asked, looking up at her husband. "Or do we send him on his way?"
"I say we send him back to Dol Amroth. I doubt he'll believe it until he hears it from Lothiriel herself." He sighed, rubbing Eowyn's back. "I shall send a message to my uncle to let him know that Eomer returns."
As Lothiriel headed down the narrow path from the cabin to the creek, Erchirion began to split logs. It had been too long since anyone had been to the cove, and the hunting cabin was in much need of repairs. He set to work, whistling a sea chanty as he did so, though his mood was not really so cheerful. It bothered him that Eomer had not let his sister say her piece before leaving her; he had not given her a chance to explain the blessing. But the real question was: would Eomer ever give her another chance? Would he return to Dol Amroth? Or would Lothiriel have to make an effort to track him down? Erchirion despaired if this was the case; he doubted that Lothiriel would do such. She seemed so placid, so complacent. It was almost as if she no longer cared. Erchirion threw down the hatchet he'd been using. If Lothiriel no longer cared, he would find a way to make her care again. He could not stand seeing his sister waste away.
"He's coming back," Mista said as she read the message from Faramir. It had arrived on the leg of a messenger dove that morning. "Eowyn and Faramir are sending him off today."
"What should we do?" asked Elphir.
"What should we do?" repeated Imrahil. "We should do nothing. It's Lothiriel who has to handle this, not us."
"Yes, but should we send her a message? Let her prepare herself for the encounter?"
Mista could not help but laugh at this. "Elphir, you make it sound as if she is going to battle against a company of orcs. I promise you, Lord Eomer is not so dangerous."
"Are you sure of that?" he muttered in reply.
"Yes," she answered, rolling her eyes. She turned to the Prince. "Lord Imrahil, might I suggest that we send a message to Erchirion by hawk? I fear that if we alert Lothiriel, she will refuse to do anything except, perhaps, run away from him again."
Amrothos laughed slightly at this. "But, Mista, where would she run to? If she went to Minas Tirith, she would meet him on the road. And she cannot very well go to Rohan, for she would most certainly encounter him there at some point."
"Amrothos, you have forgotten your sister's ways," said Imrahil. "Do you not remember when she tried to escape going to Rivendell by sailing to the lost island of Numenor despite the fact that she knew it no longer existed? And with the forming alliance between Gondor and Harad, she could easily gain passage on a ship set for Umbar. I believe Mista is right. We must tell Erchirion, but not Lothiriel."
Lothiriel wandered down the path, humming along to the song Erchirion had been whistling. "Oh the times are hard and the wages low/ Milady, where you bound to?/ Minas Tirith is my home/ Across the Western Ocean." The chorus drifted across the wind as the siblings sang together, one on the roof of the cabin, the other headed to the springs.
Lothiriel was at peace with herself. She was not happy, necessarily, she mused as she sank into the water, shivering slightly at the cool temperature, but she was at peace. She would probably never find happiness like that which she had known for those short weeks in Rohan, but she could live with that. And live she would. She would return to Dol Amroth in a few days and become--become what? A healer? A teacher? Her possibilities were endless. Those ten years in Rivendell had done some good after all.
She sighed and leaned back in the pool, remembering the day her father had presented her with the news that she would be leaving for the Elf-haven.
flashback
Lothiriel was sixteen, just old enough to court. Her father and Faramir of all people had presented the idea to her. "It will be the safest place for you, Lothiriel," they said. "You won't have to worry about the corsairs attacking and carrying you off."
"But I don't want to leave you here," she argued. "Surely Amrothos and Erchirion and Elphir would run a greater risk staying here than I. Why do you not send them away as well?" They replied that her brothers were needed to fight. "Then I will fight beside them," she answered. "I can wield a glaive just as well as Amrothos. You both know that."
At last, Faramir convinced her to give in by saying, "Lothiriel, think of it, you will be able to learn from the Elves! Who else in all of Gondor can say that they have lived among the fairest folk in all of Arda? And when you return, you shall tell me of all your doings. Will you go then, to Rivendell?" Lothiriel finally accepted this proposal, but only so that Faramir would have a first-hand account of the Elves that he adored.
end flashback
But Lothiriel had not seen Faramir yet, though she had returned from Rivendell. She considered going to Erchirion and asking to go to Ithilien to visit their cousin, but then she remembered that Eomer's sister was his wife. At this thought, Lothiriel stiffened slightly. She suspected Faramir and Eowyn knew that the betrothal was broken, because they had been planning on visiting Dol Amroth a week after the wedding. Indeed, the entirety of the court was going to come to wish the couple success in their marriage. It was one of those strange customs that Lothiriel had never understood; why wouldn't the nobility from other cities come until after the wedding had taken place? Perhaps it was so the bride and groom could have a little privacy before all the well-wishers came to call, she thought. Or perhaps it was in case the wedding was broken off. That way, there wouldn't be a house full of guests anticipating a wedding feast, only to receive a cursory thank-you and farewell. She decided it was more likely the latter, but she would ask Erchirion to see if he knew.
Suddenly, she realized that Erchirion was no longer singing. This perplexed her. Had he gone hunting or fishing and forgot to tell her? Perplexed, Lothiriel pulled herself out of the pool and wrapped a towel around her waist. She gathered up her over-dress and shoes and made her way back down the path to the cabin where she found her brother sitting on top of the roof with a hawk upon his shoulder and a message in his hand. "Who writes?" she called up to him.
Erchirion startled slightly, sending the bird off into a tree. "It's Mista," he answered. "She says that everyone is well, and will we please return soon because father has a surprise for us."
Lothiriel sniffed at that. "Will you write back to her and say I'm not interested in any of father's 'surprises'? If it's really that important, they can send the surprise here."
"I will do that as soon as I finish the roof. I'm nearly done, and it seems I chose the right project to begin with. Look at that cloud!" Lothiriel looked to the dark storm cloud that was beginning to cover the sun. "It's going to storm tonight!" Had Lothiriel been paying closer attention to her brother's voice, she would have realized that Erchirion already had the beginnings of mischief in his head.
A/N (again): sorry this took so long to update. i had a bit of a mental block. not a ::whole:: lot in the way of plot development, but i thought it'd be a good time to make some relationship ties. also, really quickly, please answer this poll in your review!
1. do you like my characterizations of everyone? why or why not?
2. who's your favorite out of my canon characters? non-canon?
3. i have several companion stories in my head. which would you rather see first: lothiriel pre- rivendell (the flashback was a teaser for this); harrana and riordan's story; or eomer and lothiriel's children (i had the first chapter posted, but i deleted it due to major blockage and a crappy plot)?
4. would you rather have one of the above first or another eomer/lothiriel fic that has nothing to do with the other stories (it's slightly AU)?
thankies muchly for answering my questions!