A/N: Hmm...Yes...I am a distant relation of Tolkien...you are so right! NOT! If I were I wouldn't be funding my entire college education on student loans...feels air escaping as I think of being choked by the pressures of debit...perhaps my friend Melian is right...I just need to have Eomer go down to the Financial Aid office and sort them out! Cheers!

CHAPTER 1

I finished my afternoon chores at the stables about two hours before dusk. I made one final check of the horses to make sure that each was fed, roomed and properly tended for the night.

I surveyed each stall with the careful eye I learned from my father. Finding all in order, I made my way to the stalls of the Kings horses. Elyos, the Kings prize nickered at me in greeting before he nuzzled the hand I held out to him. I loved these horses, just as my father had. I thought it strange that I could love them as much as my father, and yet be regarded by so many as a simple stable hand.

Elyos was a young stallion. I scoffed to myself, "Of course he would choose a stallion-pompous, arrogant, wretch!" Someone clearing their throat behind me caught me off guard and drew me quickly back to reality. "Now, now Lady Anda, you wouldn't be considering poisoning the King's horses would you?" the immense pride in the voice told me all that I needed to know. "Of course not my Lord, why would I do something that foolish;" however I immediately moved the hand that was stroking Elyos' muzzle. "I'm just making my nightly rounds, now if you'll excuse me my Lord." I turned to stride past Eomer, King of Rohan and felt a hand firmly place itself on my arm. I fixed my eyes on the ground, not quite knowing what to expect from this meeting. His gaze fixed itself on my face, he was watching me; too much for comfort honestly. "Is there no chance you can even look at me?" He said, his words carrying a tone of playfulness and spite. "Your majesty, I am truly sorry, but I have better things to do than to play games with you this evening!" His grip on my arm tightened, "It is rather unfortunate that a man so great as your father had to be left with such an ungrateful child. You lady need to learn some manners." I could feel the warm flush of anger rising up in my face. I had known what I said to be wrong, but there was a small part of me that found it amusing as I could in many ways hardly stand to spend time with this man. He was so insolent, overbearing...and at this close angle almost painfully beautiful.

"My Lord must forgive me, being not of royal blood sometimes I forget my place beneath the heels of those I serve." I was taking great satisfaction at the anger bleeding into Eomer's face. I took great pleasure in upsetting his all too high opinion of himself. He always thought himself a just and decent King, my statement led him to believe I thought otherwise. His countenance changed, and I wondered if I had strayed too far across the line this time, but as quickly as it had come it had gone, and Eomer was contained. "Anda, I knew your father to be a good man, and your brother is shaping up to be one; where in middle-earth did you receive your temper?" His grip on my arm relaxed, but I felt rather like a cat about to pounce on a mouse. "How unfortunate that you were never on the receiving end of one of father's tirades-then you would understand my temperament better!" I felt a pang of guilt remembering the last tirade my father had gone on following my request to join him as he rode to war. My ears rang for days after that. My eyes began to glaze over, and I felt dangerously close to one of the two things I loathed dearly: crying. I was tough, I wasn't supposed to cry.

Eomer's had dropped from my arm. "I am sorry Da, I did not mean" I cut him off trying desperately to regain my composure. "What you did not mean to do is of little consequence my Lord." I attempted to clear the knots from my throat, but they seemed to tighten down even father. My father was a beloved man, and I missed him greatly. It had been five years since the Great War; many of Rohan's families bore the scares of battle still. The King's perhaps more so, he had lost his uncle, and his sister in the fight. I shifted my weight back and forth nervously. Eomer looked every bit as restless and uncomfortable as I.

"I merely came here to ask you a question. I did not mean to stoke the battle that has waged on between us for what seems like an age." His whole face changed and he went from his role as King to his role as a human in the blink of an eye. "Tell me Da-what quarrel lies between us that cannot be worked out." His hand came to my face, his knuckles catching under my chin making my face rise to meet his. "You were once a welcomed member of the royal family, you and the rest of the Sheilding Society" His lips parted in a cruel grin. He had always thought our little group more of a joke than a serious effort. Eowyn, his sister had been a member for many years. He often poked fun at our desire to be "Rohirrim". However, since Eowyn was of the Royal line, she was actually a member of the real Sheildmaiden's, the rest of us were left to dream. Eomer looked at me quizzically, "Why have you stopped your visits? The hall is rather dismal without you, Jani, Ewilyn, and Eonis to poke fun at." He ended what I had hoped to be a serious statement on a rather comedic note, the hum of temper in my stomach started in. I ripped my chin from his grasp, my eyes met his with fire, what tears there were, were now evaporated.

"My Lord, you are absolutely incorrigible! If you really must know what quarrel there is between us- it stems from this. You in the many years that we have held company have yet to consider me seriously! I have always been a trifle in your eyes, always reckless, always your source of folly! Just another idiotic girl! You know nothing of me, my hopes, my desires, my needs! So before you are so brash as to consider yourself my friend and have a joke at my expense please consider these things!" I turned to stalk toward the door, but rounded realizing that all of the King's questions had not been answered. "And, if you really must know why I do not favor the Great Hall, I will tell you. I have not been to the Great Hall since the war because every where I turn I feel your sister, or your uncle, and the breath catches in my breast, and..." I broke off, striding back to where he stood, "On top of all of that, there is the plain and simple fact that I do not have any time. I have to take care of my brother, lest you forget; though I am not sure how you could as he seems constantly in your shadow." Eomer straightened to his full height, a rather menacing sight to behold, a sense of pride and arrogance spreading across his face. He knew what words he said had to be chosen lightly, he was treading on dangerous ground. By his stature however, I could tell he didn't much care. "What exactly can he do Anda, follow you? To what point and purpose, would you have him become as impudent and bitter as you seem to forever be."

I had, had enough! I gave Eomer a strong push and caught him off guard sending him careening backward; a look of shock spread across his face. He had deserved that since we were children and he had made his first of many smart ass remarks in my general direction.

I turned on my heels, running from the stables. My skirts went flying revealing my customary breeches beneath. I could hear someone shouting my name, I knew it was Eomer but I didn't stop. I knew also that this fight was not over, he would let me breathe for the moment, but I would have to finish this one way or another. Several things ran through my mind as I passed through the gates of the city, I was late for the Sheilding's Society meeting, and there would never be another chance for me to beat on Eomer again. Both thoughts clouded my thought patterns for the majority of the distance to the practice field.

Eomer was a King after all, it would be improper for him to have a commoner beating on him. No there would be definite consequences for my actions toward the King; for the most part I did not care. I felt a new strange emotion rattle threw me...Was I becoming attracted to the King?