To LOTR-nutcase : OH MY GOSH THE KING IS A QUEEN! I didn't even see that when I was proof-reading. That's what you get when you're writing half-awake in the middle of the night. Anyway, I corrected it and replaced the chapter. =0)

To Lossenrhos : I saw Ovid's book in MPH today and it was called The Erotic Poems. There is definitely something wrong with the guy.

I've given up on writing tacky things like "however long it takes" later. So from now on I'll just use double lines to symbolise that time has passed for their travels. It looks a lot more professional and smart (hehe).

Chapter 22 : Home

To all those who hated the cold, winter was long, too long. But for Éomer and Lothíriel, the winter flew by, day and night blending into one seamless chain. And when the cold air warmed up, and the frozen ground gained heat from the spring, Lothíriel was reluctant to leave Rohan. But her father would be waiting for her in Dol Amroth. Isindil had sent word to him about Lothíriel's dramatic episode, and she was certain that he would not be very pleased. In fact, she was expecting to have his full wrath descend upon her. It was best not to keep him boiling.

"I don't want to leave Rohan," she said, leaning her head on Éomer's shoulder, as they sat upon the steps staring up at the stars. "I don't want to ride away and leave you behind."

Éomer kissed the top of her head. "You won't leave me behind. When you ride away, you'll take my heart with you."

"Sappy words," Lothíriel remarked with a smile.

"It's all your fault."

Lothíriel said nothing in reply, but kissed his cheek. She laughed, thinking back at the first time they had met. "I never told you what the misunderstanding between Father and I was," she said.

"No, you didn't. Will you tell me now?"

"It seems so faraway and foolish now. I thought that my father was making me come to Rohan because he wanted to marry me to you. I thought the two of you were in it together." Lothíriel reddened at the memory. "That's why I didn't want to like you. I didn't want to give my father the satisfaction of thinking he was doing something right."

Éomer laughed, slipping his arm around her waist. "I don't believe in arranged marriages, Lothíriel." He grinned. "But perhaps I should have asked your father to arrange it, if he would. It would have saved us a lot of trouble, wouldn't it?"

"But I'd force myself to hate you for the rest of our lives. This way, there's nothing holding me back."

"Holding you back from what?"

"Doing this." Lothíriel raised her head again and kissed him on the lips.

Once again, it was time for travelling, but this time Lothíriel felt no anticipation. She did miss her home, and the sea, but now she loved Rohan as well, with its vast grasslands. And she didn't want to leave Éomer. "I'll miss you," she said to him.

"Me too, but we'll see each other again sometime soon," he told her. "I promise." Leading her to Elenion, he said with a laugh, "You just have a good journey, and try not to get in trouble in Dol Amroth, or your father might think it's my influence!"

After one last kiss, Lothíriel mounted, and Isindil gave the signal. The party began to ride away. Just before they were out of sight, Lothíriel turned, and waved to the tall figure that stood there, watching her.

That night, Lothíriel sat cross-legged in Isindil's tent, watching him sharpening his sword. "I haven't sharpened a sword in a long time," she said. "Can I try?"

Isindil gave her a look. "You can sharpen your own sword when we're back in Dol Amroth, Lothíriel. The last thing we need on this journey is for you to cut off one of your own fingers."

Lothíriel pouted. "I'm not that clumsy."

"Still, I'm not taking anymore chances. I've had enough from you for a very long time." Isindil continued lightly, "And I'm sure your father will have a few words for you when we get back."

"More than a few," Lothíriel replied. "I probably really shouldn't have run away."

"You shouldn't have," Isindil said mildly, then he grinned. "But it did bring some good, didn't it? Gave a certain king a jolt to his senses, didn't it? Perhaps every woman should run away now and then, to keep the men longing for them."

Lothíriel blushed. "Don't tease me, Isindil."

"All right, Lothíriel. I'll leave that to your brothers when we get back."

Lothíriel left Isindil's tent and returned to hers, a little smile on her face. The sight brought a smile to all the faces of the men, glad to see that their princess was happy once again.

Entering her own tent, she sat down and pulled out some paper and a quill pen, and began to write.

Dear Mother,
I miss you so much, even though so many years have passed. I wish you were still here with me, so you could share in my happiness. I've kept to what you taught me about love, and you were right; it has brought me great peace and joy.
Éomer is a good man and a good king, and I have no doubt that you would have liked him very much. He is a tough warrior who has proved his worth time and again, especially during the War of the Ring, but when out of his armour, he is kind and warm towards his guests. And the most important part is that he loves me, more than I could ever ask for. He treats me so well, and I love him so much.
I wish you were here to meet him.
Love, Lothíriel

Ripping up the letter into little pieces, Lothíriel stepped out of her tent one more, and threw the little pieces of the letter into the air, letting the wind carry it up and away, up to the stars, where her mother was. Then she returned to the tent, and had a peaceful night of slumber.

Lothíriel smiled as she rode through the gates of Dol Amroth, smiling upon the familiar sights. A murmur ran through the men riding behind her. Everyone was glad to be home. Isindil nodded to the men, and Lothíriel thanked them for having accompanied her on her journey to Rohan, and the men rode off, on their way home to their families. Lothíriel and Isindil kept riding on, until they reached the steps leading up to Imrahil's hall, where her father and brothers were waiting for them.

"Welcome home," Imrahil said with a smile as they dismounted. "Isindil, I do have to thank you for accompanying Lothíriel." He gave his daughter a look. "It has not been easy for you, I suppose."

Isindil laughed. "Not at all, but it was still a pleasure. Lothíriel has learnt her lesson, and I doubt she would ever do such a rash thing again. I myself have given her a rather large talking to."

Lothíriel bowed her head. "I'm sorry, Father, for my actions. I won't do it again."

"You had better not," Imrahil said sternly. "I am going to have to set some punishments for you, daughter. Running away just isn't the way to handle situations, no matter what they might be."

"Unless you're alone and unarmed and Orcs are running towards you," Erchirion piped up.

"Erchirion, I'm talking to your sister."

"Sorry."

"Lothíriel, perhaps keeping you from riding for a month would be sufficient punishment?" Imrahil raised an eyebrow, looking at her.

"Yes, Father," Lothíriel murmured. She had expected something worse, of course, but she was going to miss riding Elenion, after doing it so often in Rohan. Her father really knew how to find punishments that one could not easily forget.

"Now that that's dealt with…" Imrahil swept his daughter up in a hug. "It's so wonderful to see you again, my daughter. Come, we have a good dinner prepared."

Lothíriel beamed, and hugged her brothers. Then, as they walked up the stairs, Amrothos spoke. "Father's dealt with the punishment part, yes, but how come no one has mentioned the part about the 'matters of the heart'?"

Everyone turned to look at Lothíriel, and she turned as red as a tomato. She opened her mouth to speak, but found no words, and shut her mouth again.

"Come, tell us," Erchirion urged.

"Yes, do," Imrahil remarked with a smile. "But not now, while we're standing out here in the open with our stomach's growling! You will tell us everything when we eat."

"Then let's hurry into the hall," Elphir said with a laugh. "I have a feeling that it is going to be a most interesting account."