Disclaimer: I don't own any recognizable characters or places. I don't even own the plot. If I did, I wouldn't have a disclaimer. So don't sue me. Please?
"What?" Lothiriel jumped. She and Eowyn were relaxing on a terrace at Edoras having just had a horse race.
"I just asked what you were thinking about," Eowyn replied.
"Oh. I was just thinking about the first time I saw you," Lothiriel said thoughtfully
"You mean when Faramir introduced us?" queried Eowyn.
"No, I hadn't told you this yet, but I was working in the Houses of Healing when you were there,"
"You were? Why did I not see you?"
"You did once, although I am not sure you recognized me later. I saw quite a lot of you though. I was assigned to watch over you, before the Lord Aragorn healed you."
Later that night Lothiriel sat on her bed, lost in memory.
It was dark. There had been no dawn. The women working at the Houses of Healing were worried. And afraid. Faramir lay dying, and there was little hope that the battle could be won. Not while the nazgûl flew the skies. And their leader, the Witch-King of Angmar in the North. It was said that he would 'not fall by the hand of a man.' It seemed as if there was no hope for Gondor. Until, a messenger came from Lothiriel's father, Prince Imrahil, saying that Eowyn of Rohan had slain the Witch-King and that she lived, barely. She was being sent to the Houses.
When Eowyn arrived, she looked dead, but when Lothiriel held her hand close to her mouth, she felt a tiny breath of air. Eowyn lived yet.
"It is the Black Breath. It lies even more heavily on her than it does on my cousin," Lothiriel muttered. After they laid her on a bed, Mithrandir came into the room. He had hardly passed the door when a murmur escaped Eowyn's lips. It sounded almost like a moan of pain or fear, but it was unmistakably a name.
"Merry," she breathed. Mithrandir paled visibly. The perian next to him swayed. Mithrandir quickly caught him by the shoulder, knelt and looked into his eyes.
"Go. See if you can find him." The perian ran off. Mithrandir went to Eowyn's bedside and looked at her.
"Do your best for her. She is of the house of Eorl," he told the healers and was gone.
Lothiriel stared after the perian. So that was the halfling who had saved her cousin. "Lothiriel!" Ioreth snapped, making her jump, "take care of that broken arm!"
"Yes, Ioreth," Lothiriel murmured and began to work on the broken arm.
Ioreth put Lothiriel in charge of Eowyn and went off to see to the other wounded. Bergil soon came running in saying that Peregrine had found his cousin Merry. As Mithrandir left, Ioreth ordered Ithilwen to make up another bed. When Mithrandir returned, he was carrying a halfling as pale as Eowyn was. He was placed in the room across the hall. As Lothiriel watched Eowyn, she seemed to get paler. Earlier in the day, she sometimes spoke in her dreams, but as the day crept to a close she quieted. She was slowly dying. Lothiriel glanced out the window and saw that the sun was setting. She stood and went to the door and motioned to one of the errand runners.
"Yes, my lady?" he asked.
"Go get some food from the kitchens for myself and for Ithilwen." Ithilwen was in charge of Meriadoc. "I have not eaten anything since noon and I suspect she has not either. And get yourself something to eat. You look famished."
"Yes, my lady."
"And call me Lothiriel. My name is not 'my lady,'" she called after him.
"You were right, I do need food." Lothiriel looked up. Ithilwen was standing in the doorway.
"What news of the battle?" Lothiriel asked.
"The battle is over, and we have won. But many lives have been lost," she replied, "including that of Theoden, King of Rohan. His nephew Eomer is now king of Rohan."
"So both Gondor and Rohan lose their lords in the same day. At least Rohan's king died honorably, unlike my uncle," was all Lothiriel had time to say before the errand runner returned with food for both of them. The two women went back to their separate charges. As Lothiriel was finishing up, Bergil came running in saying that her father wanted to see her. She accordingly went to greet him and saw that he was not alone. Mithrandir was with him. As were two other men, one who had dark hair and in a strange way resembled Faramir, and the other, who was blond and much resembled Eowyn.
She was pondering this, when her father spoke. "Aragorn, Eomer, may I present my daughter Lothiriel. Lothiriel these are Aragorn son of Arathorn and Eomer, King of Rohan," Lothririel recognized Eomer's name. Eowyn had been calling for her brother in her dreams. So this was the king of Rohan.
"Aragorn is Isildur's heir, and heir to the throne of Arnor and Gondor," Imrahil murmured in his daughter's ear.
"Ioreth often says, 'the hands of the king are the hands of a healer.' There may yet be hope for cousin Faramir, Lady Eowyn, and the halfling Meriadoc," she told her father as they followed Aragorn down the hall.
"Does she say that? I had forgotten that saying. Yes, perhaps there is still hope," mused Imrahil. They followed Aragorn to the doorway of Faramir's room and entered. Faramir lay quite still on the bed. His burns had been treated, but he had a fever. Aragorn then went to Eowyn's room. Everything looked as it had when Lothiriel had left, save, perhaps, that Eowyn was even paler than she had been. Eomer's eyes filled with tears as he looked on his sister whom he had thought dead. Lothiriel's heart went out to him. His sister was the only member of his family yet living, and here she lay, dying. Eomer went to his sister's bedside. Lothiriel left Eomer with his sister, and slipped out into the hall. Aragorn had left Eowyn's room, and had gone to the halfling's room. Just as she was about to enter, her father came out.
"He says that Faramir's time is running out. He must see to him now," Imrahil told his daughter, "Will you come?"
"If Eomer is not going to go anywhere, then yes. The Lady Eowyn is my charge, and I should not leave her alone. If her brother is there, that will be fine," she responded. She peeked into Eowyn's room, and seeing that Eomer was unlikely to budge, followed her father into Faramir's room. Aragorn was holding Faramir's hand and calling his name as she came in. His voice was getting softer and softer. Just as she thought she could not hear him any longer, she was nearly bowled over by Bergil running in. He was carrying a cloth with six leaves in it. After Aragorn had taken them, Bergil burst into tears. Lothiriel pulled him towards her and he buried his face in her skirts for a moment. Aragorn cast two leaves in hot water and all of a sudden the air was filled with a scent like Spring in full blossom. And Faramir awoke.
'My lord, you called me. I come. What does the king command?' Faramir said. Lothiriel was so astonished that he knew that Aragorn was the king that she did not hear Aragorn's response. She slipped out of the room knowing that she must check up on her charge. And was amazed to find herself followed by Aragorn. She stood aside to let him pass but he waved her onward. She was surprised, but continued towards Eowyn's room. She slipped in the door and seeing that nothing had changed since she had left the room, stood aside to let Aragorn, Mithrandir, Ioreth, and the halfling Peregrin in. Her father had stayed with Faramir.
Eomer still sat beside the bed, and Lothiriel could see tear streaks on his face. His sister meant much to him. She was, after all, his only remaining family member. His uncle had been killed by the very thing his sister had slain. Aragorn, Eomer, and Mithrandir were speaking with each other. From their speech Lothiriel gathered that Eowyn had wished to take up arms, but had been forbidden. She also learned that Eowyn had loved Aragorn, but he had not loved her in return. Eowyn had not been a happy woman. No one should have to be so unhappy, not even in these times, Lothiriel thought fiercely.
This time, when Aragorn put the leaves in the water, there was no scent, but the air in the room seemed as if it were new, as if it had never been breathed before.
Aragorn called to Eowyn saying, 'Awake, Eowyn, Lady of Rohan! Awake! The shadow is gone, and all darkness is washed clean!' Eowyn did not awaken, but she began to breathe deeply. Then, he placed her hand in her brother's, and, telling him to call her, left the room.
Tears were running down Eomer's cheeks yet again as he brokenheartedly called his sister's name. Eowyn opened her eyes. Lothiriel knew she had little strength and when Eowyn spoke her voice was barely above a whisper. Lothiriel left them together. She knew that Eowyn would need to sleep. She also knew that Eomer would make sure his sister slept. Before, all Eowyn's unconsciousness had done was leech her strength away. Now she needed to regain that strength.
Lothiriel left the room and found a bench in an alcove along the wall. She needed rest. Just as she was about to drop off to sleep she heard someone stop in front of her. She looked up. Eomer was standing looking down at her. "You look tired," he offered.
"I am," she replied.
"I want to thank you for the care you have given my sister," he told her. "She is asleep at the moment."
"Good, she needs the rest. Now I must go see my cousin."
"And I must go back to my sister. I promised her I would be there when she woke." With that they separated, each going into another room.
As Lothiriel entered Faramir's room he groaned. "Not another healer. I am truly tired of being fussed over."
"I may be a healer, but I did not come here to fuss over you. I came here to talk," she told him.
Faramir grinned. "Lothiriel! I had no idea that you were here."
"I arrived here with Father. I knew I was needed. Father was not very happy about it, but he allowed me to come."
"Oh. Uncle said nothing about it."
"I think he wanted me to surprise you."
"That makes sense," Faramir laughed. He reminded Lothiriel very much of her father. Lothiriel was about to say something else when she was interrupted by Ioreth entering.
"There you are. You should know, I am assigning Miriel to the Lady Eowyn and you to your cousin," she told Lothiriel.
"At least I am rid of Miriel. She drove me crazy," Faramir muttered, "But who is Lady Eowyn? I do not remember anyone in Minas Tirith by that name."
"She is not from Minas Tirith," Lothiriel told her cousin. "She is the late king of Rohan's niece."
"Late? Do not tell me Theoden has fallen? How did Lady Eowyn end up in Gondor?"
"Yes, Theoden was slain by the Witch-King. His nephew and Eowyn's brother, Eomer, is now king of Rohan."
"I see. You have not yet answered my other question. Seeing as she was your charge was she not? You should know."
"Faramir are you thinking of falling in love?" She teased.
"Lothiriel!"
"Sorry. Eowyn is of the royal house of Rohan as I told you. The House of Eorl. From what I have heard, she has had an unhappy life. Her uncle's closest advisor was in the pay of Saruman and he lusted after her. She fell in love with Aragorn, but he is in love with someone else. Apparently she has longed to go to battle all her life but has never been allowed. Finally, when the Rohirrim mustered to ride to our aid she disguised herself as a rider."
"And was wounded and ended up here," Faramir finished for her.
"No, not quite. The Witch-King attacked the king and crushed him under his own horse. She defended her uncle and slew his beast. He smashed her shield, shattering her arm at the same time."
"And she survived?"
"Yes. He was about to kill her when Meriadoc, Peregrin's cousin, stabbed him in the knee, distracting him. Then she slew him and the Black Breath took her. It took Meriadoc as well, but more slowly."
"Who found her?"
"Her brother. It was a rude shock for him. He thought she was dead and went charging back into battle full of fury. Father was the one who found out that she was alive and he sent her here."
"And the hobbit?"
"He remained conscious long enough to get lost in the city. His cousin found him and managed to get a message to Mithrandir. Mithrandir found them and brought them back here. Meriadoc is fine now, or so I have heard. The king healed him as he did you and Eowyn."
"It is good to know that Pippin did not have to mourn his cousin's death as well as my brother's."
"Faramir, I have something to tell you. Your Father is dead."
"Thiri?"
Lothiriel looked up. "Eomer! What took you so long?"
"A counsel meeting. I was bored to tears."
"Sounds like you are tired. Come, get some rest"