Moonlight Dances and Stolen Kisses
The pair returned to dinner so wrapped up in each other, that they didn't notice Eowyn's stifled giggles, Faramir's suggestive glances, or Elessar's need to keep hiding his smile behind his napkin.
"Excuse me, my lords," she stood and curtsied. "I believe this evening meal was most splendid, however I feel the need for some fresh air."
"Will you allow me to escort you? Or would you rather walk alone?" Eomer asked, as he looked at her.
"Your company shall always be welcome," she smiled at him, and allowed him to rise and escort her out of the Great Hall.
"If those two do any more walking..." Elphir began, and the rest of the group chuckled, as they finished their meals.
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Eomer was nervous. Of course, he had been in the presence of women alone before, but this was different. This was Lothiriel. And he was a nervous wreck.
"Eomer, you're shaking. Is the wind too chill?" Lothiriel asked, truly concerned, as they both stopped walking under the protection of a large tree.
"No, no," Eomer insisted, "I am well. It is simply that your...your beauty and grace make this fumbling king nervous."
She reached for his hand, and held it to her heart. "Feel that? I, too, am nervous."
He smiled, then began to caress her face. "Well, perhaps we need to erase the walls of nervousness that separate us."
He leaned closer and closer toward her face, then caught his lips in hers. The kiss was over too quickly for Lothiriel's liking. She leaned in again and pressed her lips to his, turning their sweet kiss into one of passion. Both surfaced for air.
"I did not think such fierce feelings possible!" Lothiriel gasped, as she breathed heavily.
"Nor did I," Eomer admitted. He smiled, as he wrapped his arms around her waist. She responded by wrapping hers around his neck. He leaned in again and whispered rather seductively. "But I like it," and her lips claimed his once again.
Eomer broke free from the kiss first. "Princess, I fear I must be frank with you. If we do not stop...I do not think I can continue in this fashion," he murmured quietly. Lothiriel nodded, kissed his cheek, then took his hand. "When I was a little girl, I loved looking out onto the garden and the sea. So much did I treasure this view, that Papa indulgently had my room switched with Elphir's. I was given the grandest room in the house, with a view of Mama's flowers and the ocean. It was my sixth birthday. My last before Mama died. I was standing at my balcony, peering out into the garden, and watching my parents silently. They thought nobody was looking, and they were walking much as we are now. I glanced out into the sea, to watch for boats, and when I turned my gaze back to them, they were dancing a waltz. My mother looked so happy, I felt the warmth of her smile from where I stood. And Papa. He was so young, and so handsome then. His face was not creased with lines of worry as they are now. It was the last time I saw them dance before she left us," Lothiriel finished softly, as Eomer stood, transfixed at the sound of her voice.
"That's a lovely story, dearest," he said, sincerely.
"Thank you," she said, lost in her thoughts for a while. Before she could even register what she was doing, she felt herself leading Eomer into the dance she had seen her parents perform on that night so many years ago. Eomer and Lothiriel were lost in the moment, mesmerized by the beauty the night held and the warmth of each others' company.
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"You know," Eowyn began, "we really shouldn't be spying on them all the time. What did they ever do to us? It just seems so backward and cruel."
"Eowyn, darling, let me remind you what sort of threats were made against my life daily when your brother found out you were to wed me?" Faramir shuddered at the memories. "Besides, we're not spying. Those three are spying," he said, pointing to Elphir, Amrothose, and Erchirion. "We are merely enjoying the night air."
"What is this that's going on?" Lord Imrahil demanded, as he joined the group on the upper terrace.
All five of the guilty party pointed in the direction of the garden that Lothiriel and Eomer were dancing. Lord Imrahil looked on, surprised, then touched.
"What is it, uncle?" Faramir asked, concerned.
"Nothing, nothing, dear boy. It's just...she looks like her mother," he whispered. Then, he surprised the group by joining them in watching the couple waltz the night away.
The pair returned to dinner so wrapped up in each other, that they didn't notice Eowyn's stifled giggles, Faramir's suggestive glances, or Elessar's need to keep hiding his smile behind his napkin.
"Excuse me, my lords," she stood and curtsied. "I believe this evening meal was most splendid, however I feel the need for some fresh air."
"Will you allow me to escort you? Or would you rather walk alone?" Eomer asked, as he looked at her.
"Your company shall always be welcome," she smiled at him, and allowed him to rise and escort her out of the Great Hall.
"If those two do any more walking..." Elphir began, and the rest of the group chuckled, as they finished their meals.
8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 88
Eomer was nervous. Of course, he had been in the presence of women alone before, but this was different. This was Lothiriel. And he was a nervous wreck.
"Eomer, you're shaking. Is the wind too chill?" Lothiriel asked, truly concerned, as they both stopped walking under the protection of a large tree.
"No, no," Eomer insisted, "I am well. It is simply that your...your beauty and grace make this fumbling king nervous."
She reached for his hand, and held it to her heart. "Feel that? I, too, am nervous."
He smiled, then began to caress her face. "Well, perhaps we need to erase the walls of nervousness that separate us."
He leaned closer and closer toward her face, then caught his lips in hers. The kiss was over too quickly for Lothiriel's liking. She leaned in again and pressed her lips to his, turning their sweet kiss into one of passion. Both surfaced for air.
"I did not think such fierce feelings possible!" Lothiriel gasped, as she breathed heavily.
"Nor did I," Eomer admitted. He smiled, as he wrapped his arms around her waist. She responded by wrapping hers around his neck. He leaned in again and whispered rather seductively. "But I like it," and her lips claimed his once again.
Eomer broke free from the kiss first. "Princess, I fear I must be frank with you. If we do not stop...I do not think I can continue in this fashion," he murmured quietly. Lothiriel nodded, kissed his cheek, then took his hand. "When I was a little girl, I loved looking out onto the garden and the sea. So much did I treasure this view, that Papa indulgently had my room switched with Elphir's. I was given the grandest room in the house, with a view of Mama's flowers and the ocean. It was my sixth birthday. My last before Mama died. I was standing at my balcony, peering out into the garden, and watching my parents silently. They thought nobody was looking, and they were walking much as we are now. I glanced out into the sea, to watch for boats, and when I turned my gaze back to them, they were dancing a waltz. My mother looked so happy, I felt the warmth of her smile from where I stood. And Papa. He was so young, and so handsome then. His face was not creased with lines of worry as they are now. It was the last time I saw them dance before she left us," Lothiriel finished softly, as Eomer stood, transfixed at the sound of her voice.
"That's a lovely story, dearest," he said, sincerely.
"Thank you," she said, lost in her thoughts for a while. Before she could even register what she was doing, she felt herself leading Eomer into the dance she had seen her parents perform on that night so many years ago. Eomer and Lothiriel were lost in the moment, mesmerized by the beauty the night held and the warmth of each others' company.
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"You know," Eowyn began, "we really shouldn't be spying on them all the time. What did they ever do to us? It just seems so backward and cruel."
"Eowyn, darling, let me remind you what sort of threats were made against my life daily when your brother found out you were to wed me?" Faramir shuddered at the memories. "Besides, we're not spying. Those three are spying," he said, pointing to Elphir, Amrothose, and Erchirion. "We are merely enjoying the night air."
"What is this that's going on?" Lord Imrahil demanded, as he joined the group on the upper terrace.
All five of the guilty party pointed in the direction of the garden that Lothiriel and Eomer were dancing. Lord Imrahil looked on, surprised, then touched.
"What is it, uncle?" Faramir asked, concerned.
"Nothing, nothing, dear boy. It's just...she looks like her mother," he whispered. Then, he surprised the group by joining them in watching the couple waltz the night away.