Author's Note: I'm in California right now, but I thought I'd take some
time to update. Can I just mention that I feel like I'm in the middle of
heaven? The view from my uncle's balcony in Beverly Hills is A-W-E-S-O-M-E!
Okay, yeah...anyways, hope you like it!
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own a gosh darn thing related to Lord of the Rings.
Return to the White City
One year had passed since the coronation of Elessar, King of Gondor, and the marriage of Faramir, Prince of Ithilien, and Eowyn of Rohan.
Eomer's thoughts often drifted to a beautiful princess of Dol Amroth during the course of the past year. How her eyes seemed beacons of deep blue, how her smile could light up a room, how her laugh was a melody so sweet it almost pained one to hear. His advisors pushed him for marriage. "Rohan needs an heir! Follow in your sister's stead; settle down, and get married!" they grumbled at the end of each council meeting. His advisors planned dances, parties, and feasts in which they invited all the eligible maidens of Rohan. None caught his interest or his eye, and his thoughts turned more and more to the beauty that sat in the palace by the sea.
Eomer's spirits sailed, as he entered the white city once more to celebrate the one-year-anniversary of Elessar's reign. He glanced around him and laughed at the shocked faces of the nobles. Alas! One day early, and the grand celebrations prepared for his arrival would not come to pass, much to his relief.
The sight that greeted him as he dismounted his horse took his breath away.
There, as loving as ever, were the two cousins, sparring sword for sword in the courtyard. He watched, amused, as a fair woman with dark hair executed blow for blow, swiftly and with skill that would have been admirable in the greatest of warriors.
"I admit defeat!" Faramir said, as Lothiriel knocked his sword out of his hands, sending it directly to Eomer's feet.
"Faramir, Prince of Ithilien and Steward of Gondor-able to defend his country from evil, but not able to shield himself from his fair cousin?" he asked with a smirk, as he handed a speechless Faramir his sword.
"Eomer King! What brings you to Gondor a day early?" he asked.
"Brother, I should think that after a year of allowing you to hold my sister captive in Gondor as your most beloved wife, you should have learned to drop the formality more quickly," he teased. He turned to the Princess of Dol Amroth, and the breath left his body as his mouth dropped open. There stood before him a more beautiful woman than he could have ever imagined. Lothiriel had been beautiful last year, but the past year had rendered her breathtaking.
"Aaah, I see you do not forget my fair cousin Lothiriel," he smirked as he watched the King recover from his initial shock.
"Your Highness, I...forgive my rudeness in not acknowledging you before," he stammered.
"There is nothing to forgive. However, if I do recall correctly, I do believe all formality that lies between us was to be dropped?" she said with a warm smile and a playful look in her eyes.
"Yes, of course," he whispered, before he took up her hand and kissed it gently. He held onto her hand a little longer until he realized his doing, and quickly let go.
"Ahem. If you two shall excuse me, I must return home to see to my wife. I am sure she will not appreciate that I was out here sparring with you, when she is at home in a most uncomfortable position," he said with a twinkle in his eye. "I would not wish to upset a Shieldmaiden of Rohan, especially not one related to you, Eomer," he said with a humble bow.
"Of course! Send Eowyn all my love, and tell her I shall be by tomorrow to visit!" Lothiriel said warmly, lighting up all her features. "Oh, and as always, thank you for humoring me cousin. I know how little time you have for such frivolous pursuits as sword-fighting with a girl, these days."
"It was my pleasure," he said. "Good day, Eomer, Lothiriel," he said, as he kissed the top of her head. "I shall see you on the morrow," as he left their presence.
Lothiriel turned to watched her cousin's retreating form, then turned around to face the King of Rohan.
"Well," she said with a twinkle in her eye that stole the breath from her companion, "although none were expecting you until tomorrow, I am positive King Elessar shall think it a slight on your part if you were not to rush into his court and make your royal introductions. And I suppose he plans on keeping you in council late until the night," she said, as he watched his face fall at the thought of sitting in chambers with the king all day. "Shall I find you a skilled servant of Gondor to tend to your horse, my lord?"
"Nay, though I thank you for your kind offer, princess. I always tend to my own horse," he said, as he rubbed his horse's neck.
"Then I shall walk with you to the stables. I am about to go out on my afternoon ride across the Pelennor," she said, as she took his offered arm.
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When the pair reached the stables, Eomer walked his horse to his usual stall. To his surprise, Lothiriel walked up to a beautiful and spirited black gelding and started to tack her horse on her own.
"Do you not wish me to fetch a servant to help you?" he asked gently, as he began grooming his horse.
"Nay. As yourself, I do not trust none but my own hand to tend to my horse," she said with a dreamy smile as she petted her steed's neck. Eomer watched as she fed her horse a small carrot and smiled at the woman in front of him.
"Will you not allow me to help you?" he asked, reaching for her saddle.
"I thank you," she said, stepping back and allowing him to saddle her horse. After he was finished, he followed her outside as she led her horse out of the stables. He offered her his hand, and she took it, swinging on to her horse. She shocked her kingly companion by riding astride. "I hope to see you at the evening meal," she said, raising her eyes in question.
"Of course," Eomer murmured, taken aback by the beautiful woman before him. "I should not miss it for the world." With that, Lothiriel expertly turned her horse, and raced out of the city.
Eomer turned and entered the palace in search of the King of Gondor. After formal royal introductions were made, and light scolding was issued for his early arrival, King Elessar surprised Eomer by releasing him for the rest of the day.
"I doubt you wish to sit in council so short after your arrival, and I am sure that you did not come to Gondor one day early to seek my chambers of state," he said, laughing at his shocked expression. "Go outside. Enjoy yourself. For tomorrow, we shall have much to discuss," and with that, he bowed and walked out of the hall.
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Eomer stood at the walls of the uppermost circle, looking out into Pelennor Fields. With his highly trained eye, he caught sight of the Princess of Dol Amroth skillfully galloping through the tall grassy plains. He sighed, as he leaned against the wall, continuing to soak in the sight of the princess on a horse.
"Aaaah. I see she captivates you as well," a voice said, with a hint of playfulness, and Eomer turned to face the intruder.
"My Lord Prince!" Eomer exclaimed, with a bow.
"Nonsense, Eomer. We have done enough fighting side-by-side to be always known to each other by our names. Please, call me Imrahil, as I request every time we meet," he said, smiling at the younger king.
"As you wish, my lo...Imrahil," he finished.
"Is not my daughter very beautiful? She looks just as her mother did long ago" he asked, as the two turned their attention back to the princess, now on her way up the city.
"Yes," Eomer murmured quietly, watching the princess's skillful ascent.
"You know I love you as a son, and would like to see you happy," Imrahil began. "Perhaps you would not dislike spending more time with my daughter during your three-month stay here in Gondor?" he asked.
Eomer turned to the older man and smiled, realizing that the Prince of Dol Amroth had subtly given him permission to court his only daughter.
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own a gosh darn thing related to Lord of the Rings.
Return to the White City
One year had passed since the coronation of Elessar, King of Gondor, and the marriage of Faramir, Prince of Ithilien, and Eowyn of Rohan.
Eomer's thoughts often drifted to a beautiful princess of Dol Amroth during the course of the past year. How her eyes seemed beacons of deep blue, how her smile could light up a room, how her laugh was a melody so sweet it almost pained one to hear. His advisors pushed him for marriage. "Rohan needs an heir! Follow in your sister's stead; settle down, and get married!" they grumbled at the end of each council meeting. His advisors planned dances, parties, and feasts in which they invited all the eligible maidens of Rohan. None caught his interest or his eye, and his thoughts turned more and more to the beauty that sat in the palace by the sea.
Eomer's spirits sailed, as he entered the white city once more to celebrate the one-year-anniversary of Elessar's reign. He glanced around him and laughed at the shocked faces of the nobles. Alas! One day early, and the grand celebrations prepared for his arrival would not come to pass, much to his relief.
The sight that greeted him as he dismounted his horse took his breath away.
There, as loving as ever, were the two cousins, sparring sword for sword in the courtyard. He watched, amused, as a fair woman with dark hair executed blow for blow, swiftly and with skill that would have been admirable in the greatest of warriors.
"I admit defeat!" Faramir said, as Lothiriel knocked his sword out of his hands, sending it directly to Eomer's feet.
"Faramir, Prince of Ithilien and Steward of Gondor-able to defend his country from evil, but not able to shield himself from his fair cousin?" he asked with a smirk, as he handed a speechless Faramir his sword.
"Eomer King! What brings you to Gondor a day early?" he asked.
"Brother, I should think that after a year of allowing you to hold my sister captive in Gondor as your most beloved wife, you should have learned to drop the formality more quickly," he teased. He turned to the Princess of Dol Amroth, and the breath left his body as his mouth dropped open. There stood before him a more beautiful woman than he could have ever imagined. Lothiriel had been beautiful last year, but the past year had rendered her breathtaking.
"Aaah, I see you do not forget my fair cousin Lothiriel," he smirked as he watched the King recover from his initial shock.
"Your Highness, I...forgive my rudeness in not acknowledging you before," he stammered.
"There is nothing to forgive. However, if I do recall correctly, I do believe all formality that lies between us was to be dropped?" she said with a warm smile and a playful look in her eyes.
"Yes, of course," he whispered, before he took up her hand and kissed it gently. He held onto her hand a little longer until he realized his doing, and quickly let go.
"Ahem. If you two shall excuse me, I must return home to see to my wife. I am sure she will not appreciate that I was out here sparring with you, when she is at home in a most uncomfortable position," he said with a twinkle in his eye. "I would not wish to upset a Shieldmaiden of Rohan, especially not one related to you, Eomer," he said with a humble bow.
"Of course! Send Eowyn all my love, and tell her I shall be by tomorrow to visit!" Lothiriel said warmly, lighting up all her features. "Oh, and as always, thank you for humoring me cousin. I know how little time you have for such frivolous pursuits as sword-fighting with a girl, these days."
"It was my pleasure," he said. "Good day, Eomer, Lothiriel," he said, as he kissed the top of her head. "I shall see you on the morrow," as he left their presence.
Lothiriel turned to watched her cousin's retreating form, then turned around to face the King of Rohan.
"Well," she said with a twinkle in her eye that stole the breath from her companion, "although none were expecting you until tomorrow, I am positive King Elessar shall think it a slight on your part if you were not to rush into his court and make your royal introductions. And I suppose he plans on keeping you in council late until the night," she said, as he watched his face fall at the thought of sitting in chambers with the king all day. "Shall I find you a skilled servant of Gondor to tend to your horse, my lord?"
"Nay, though I thank you for your kind offer, princess. I always tend to my own horse," he said, as he rubbed his horse's neck.
"Then I shall walk with you to the stables. I am about to go out on my afternoon ride across the Pelennor," she said, as she took his offered arm.
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When the pair reached the stables, Eomer walked his horse to his usual stall. To his surprise, Lothiriel walked up to a beautiful and spirited black gelding and started to tack her horse on her own.
"Do you not wish me to fetch a servant to help you?" he asked gently, as he began grooming his horse.
"Nay. As yourself, I do not trust none but my own hand to tend to my horse," she said with a dreamy smile as she petted her steed's neck. Eomer watched as she fed her horse a small carrot and smiled at the woman in front of him.
"Will you not allow me to help you?" he asked, reaching for her saddle.
"I thank you," she said, stepping back and allowing him to saddle her horse. After he was finished, he followed her outside as she led her horse out of the stables. He offered her his hand, and she took it, swinging on to her horse. She shocked her kingly companion by riding astride. "I hope to see you at the evening meal," she said, raising her eyes in question.
"Of course," Eomer murmured, taken aback by the beautiful woman before him. "I should not miss it for the world." With that, Lothiriel expertly turned her horse, and raced out of the city.
Eomer turned and entered the palace in search of the King of Gondor. After formal royal introductions were made, and light scolding was issued for his early arrival, King Elessar surprised Eomer by releasing him for the rest of the day.
"I doubt you wish to sit in council so short after your arrival, and I am sure that you did not come to Gondor one day early to seek my chambers of state," he said, laughing at his shocked expression. "Go outside. Enjoy yourself. For tomorrow, we shall have much to discuss," and with that, he bowed and walked out of the hall.
888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
Eomer stood at the walls of the uppermost circle, looking out into Pelennor Fields. With his highly trained eye, he caught sight of the Princess of Dol Amroth skillfully galloping through the tall grassy plains. He sighed, as he leaned against the wall, continuing to soak in the sight of the princess on a horse.
"Aaaah. I see she captivates you as well," a voice said, with a hint of playfulness, and Eomer turned to face the intruder.
"My Lord Prince!" Eomer exclaimed, with a bow.
"Nonsense, Eomer. We have done enough fighting side-by-side to be always known to each other by our names. Please, call me Imrahil, as I request every time we meet," he said, smiling at the younger king.
"As you wish, my lo...Imrahil," he finished.
"Is not my daughter very beautiful? She looks just as her mother did long ago" he asked, as the two turned their attention back to the princess, now on her way up the city.
"Yes," Eomer murmured quietly, watching the princess's skillful ascent.
"You know I love you as a son, and would like to see you happy," Imrahil began. "Perhaps you would not dislike spending more time with my daughter during your three-month stay here in Gondor?" he asked.
Eomer turned to the older man and smiled, realizing that the Prince of Dol Amroth had subtly given him permission to court his only daughter.