Author's Note: Sorry about the long time between updates, everyone, but I think there was stuff going on with the document manager

Chapter 8: Breakfast

Breakfast was a decidedly awkward affair for roughly half of those who gathered for the morning meal. Faramir had allowed time for Elphir and his men to bathe and find fresh clothes before they would all sit down to eat, with the intent of cornering his wayward cousin and speaking to her firmly and frankly about the dangerous road she was walking along. Unfortunately, Lothiriel's brother, unaware of the trouble his sister was getting herself into, had pulled Faramir along with him to his guest chambers for a half-hour of conversation and catch-up.

Since his wedding not even a year ago, the only members of his family that Faramir had seen for any substantial length of time were Lothiriel and Imrahil. Lothiriel had been in Rohan with Eowyn for two months before the wedding and Imrahil had not only traveled with the Royal Company of Gondor to the wedding, he had also visited Ithilien and stayed a week before leaving Lothiriel in the not-so-capable hands of his nephew and his new wife.

Faramir knew he was being unfair to himself, for he had had no idea until Lothiriel had come to Ithilien how far the courtship between Eomer and Lothiriel had progressed. His only mistake was not recognizing her restlessness as it really was, a desire to be with Eomer again. It would be easier still if he could fault his starry-eyed cousin, but he couldn't. During the weeks he was separated from Eowyn first before their official troth-plighting, then before the wedding, he had found himself increasingly restless. The King had often threatened to drop him from the top of the Citadel, for all the good he was doing him.

Eowyn was more pragmatic in her projection of blame. Keeping a tight hold of her husband's hand, she silently glowered at her dear friend the King of Gondor for arriving too late to the table to prevent her dolt of a brother from seating himself next to Lothiriel. Arwen had arrived in time, but she was too engrossed in speaking with Elphir and Tanith (or rather, watching their light-hearted antagonizing of each other) to be of much use to her at the moment. Eowyn knew she wasn't being fair, but she was used to being able to rely upon the Queen to defuse a situation such as this.

Aragorn was biding his time. His breakfast was spent between wondering what he had done to earn the ire of the Princess of Ithilien and planning a speedy get-away once he had finished eating. As amusing as some of the Amrothian men were, he wasn't sure he could endure another attack from Eowyn before lunchtime. Besides which, he fully intended to escort the King of Rohan away for most of the day. There were many matters that hadn't seemed so important before, but now that he was looking at it from another perspective, he decided to discuss the repopulating of Isengard with Eomer as soon as they had a chance to recover from breakfast.

In between trading barbs with Elphir, Tanith was watching the members of the Swan Guard watching Lothiriel intently. His ire increased when he realized who must have given the order to do so. There were only a handful of people who had the authority to issue such an edict and Tanith knew that Imrahil had always respected the privacy of his children, even his youngest daughter.

Father. He frowned deeply, making a note to himself to speak with Uriens as soon as he arrived. And even you, Father, would never spy on Lothiriel unless the others put you up to it.

"Eomer King." he suddenly said, interrupting Elphir mid-sentence. He shot his friend a genuinely apologetic look. "I'm afraid most of the people at this table have an advantage over me when it comes to conversing with you."

Eomer, who had been distracted with holding Lothiriel's hand under the table and wondering why he wasn't feeling like a lovey fool, looked up at the mention of his name. He cleared his throat and reached for his goblet. "Well, we can't have that, Lord Tanith. What is this disadvantage you speak of?"

"It has come to my attention that everyone sitting at this table, with a few exceptions, was present in Edoras for the wedding of the Prince and Princess of Ithilien. I have never been to Rohan and therefore cannot engage you in a friendly battle over which of our countries have the most attributes of the positive persuasion."

"The sea." Lothiriel quickly put in.

Eowyn raised her eyebrow as one of the Swan Knights dropped his fork, startled.

"Well, that clinches it." Tanith made a face at her. "That was to be my trump card, Princess. The battle is over before it has even begun, thank you very much, you raven-haired bugger."

The tension was somewhat relieved by the laughter that followed his statement.

"Unlike you, my unworldly friend—"Lothiriel began.

Tanith started, half-rising from his seat. "Unworldly? How now, my lady, you go a bit too far. Which of us was it who set foot on a ship before the age of ten? And I will have you know that I learned the language of the Haradrim by my fifteenth year."

"For all the good it has done Dol Amroth." Elphir remarked slyly.

"May I be permitted to finish?" Lothiriel asked. "And before you reply, please bear in mind that I am fully prepared to jump across this table and gag you myself if you reply in the negative."

"Oh!" Tanith exclaimed, slapping his hand on the table. "Faramir, I believe you have corrupted our princess!"

"Nay, I recognize the influence upon your princess and it is certainly unlike anything I have seen from the Prince of Ithilien." Eomer rebutted the statement. "This new side of Lothiriel is entirely the doing of my sister."

"Eomer!"

"And I see shades of my own dear wife as well." Aragorn put in, enjoying the wordplay going around the table.

"Estel!" blushed Arwen.

Glaring at Elphir and Tanith, Lothiriel sat back in her chair, annoyed with the lot of them. For a moment, she thought she was back home at one of those stuffy sit-down dinners where the men were permitted to joke and laugh and make merry with each other while the women were expected to sit down with their needlepoint, look and be demure, smile indulgently and speak of how the men worked so hard all day long and wasn't it just wonderful how (insert name of host here) was giving them the opportunity to relax. No mention ever made about so and so's wife, who had planned the dinner and sent the invitations and made sure that everything was absolutely perfect so there would be no court scandal.

Her breath hitched in her throat when she realized that she would be going back to that environment for however long her father deemed suitable for a proper engagement. She couldn't impose upon Faramir and Eowyn's hospitality any longer than she already had and the King and Queen would be kind enough to offer her a place in Minas Tirith, but she would have to return to Dol Amroth at some point.

Setting her jaw, she retrieved her goblet from the table.

"Now, what was it you were saying, Princess?" Tanith asked, feeling a bit chagrined with himself.

"Nothing of any importance, my lord Tanith." she replied quietly, sipping the tea she had been given.

"Come." Elphir directed his sister. "Share your thoughts with us, Lothiriel."

"I for one am interested." Eomer laid his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "For it seemed that you were about to speak in defense of those poor souls at this table who have suffered for lack of oceans in their country."

"The plains of Rohan reminded me very much of the sea at home." Lothiriel said flatly, lowering her eyes to look at her hands. "When there are winds rolling across, the plains never stay the same one moment to the next. And you cannot ride horses easily in the sea. That is all."

Disturbed by Lothiriel's sudden lack of animation, Faramir studied her for a moment before calling attention away from her. "I agree, actually. My heart lies within the forests of Ithilien, but if I could not dwell there, I would choose Rohan, for the charms of the sea and the charms of the plains could be said to be interchangeable."

"Ithilien is too far into the warmer country for you to have appreciation for forests in the winter." Aragorn replied. "The forests of the North spend many a month in the year covered with the whiteness of snow. I have seen the seas of Dol Amroth, the plains of Rohan, and the beauty of Rivendell, and I cannot say that I've seen a more wondrous sight than the Northern forests in the wintertime."

"I shall have to venture to those parts one day soon." Tanith replied, trying to rein in his excitement. He too had been restless of late and his father showed no signs of slowing down yet. Perhaps he would agree that a year spent in the wilds of the North would be beneficial for him.

"For adventuring spirits such as ourselves, anywhere is more exciting than home." Elphir remarked. "Tanith, I told you that you should have joined me when I joined Faramir's company. War may be a filthy business, but there were many years before the war consumed everything in which we had many fine adventures."

Lothiriel, her eyes still downcast towards her hands, made a small sound but offered no other comment.

"Speaking of Rivendell, I must admit to some curiosity, my lady Arwen." Tanith turned to the Queen suddenly. "I have heard rumor that many of the fair folk who remain here will be departing within a score of years. What will happen to their dwellings after they have passed across the sea."

The Queen smiled at the question, understanding the purity of his curiosity for what it was. "I do not believe it has been decided yet, Lord Tanith." she replied. "The Lord of Rivendell, my father, remains in Imladris for a time yet, as does the Lady of the Golden Wood. I wish I could tell you more, but I believe even they do not know what will become of our fair dwellings."

"Perhaps those who are staying behind would like to gather in one place." Elphir remarked. "I wouldn't recommend Dol Amroth, though. The court keeps the rest of the people in a stranglehold."

Lothiriel paled slightly at the mention of the court.

"Hadn't your father hoped to make a pilgrimage to Imladris to speak with Lord Elrond before his departure?" Tanith asked him.

"He'd mentioned something of the like, but I think he thought Lord Elrond had already gone across the sea." Elphir replied. "Thiri, did Father mention anything to you about Rivendell? I thought he would have made—Thiri? Are you ill?"

"No." Lothiriel replied, standing up. "I need some air. May I be excused?" she turned to her cousin beseechingly.

Faramir considered carefully for a moment. He had not yet spoken with her about his displeasure over the events of the night before, but he had a feeling she wasn't about to run off with eight members of her father's Swan Guard lurking around the place. He could already see the vivacious, sparkling, chirpy young woman she had become during her time away from Dol Amroth ebbing away. In her place, the compliant, lifeless, perfect Princess of Dol Amroth was emerging and Faramir mourned the loss keenly.

"You may." he replied. "But please do not leave the grounds."

Nodding and curtsying once, Lothiriel fled from the room.