The Heart of the Beholder
A sequel to "The Eye of the Beholder"
A/N: Yes, it's true. I finally got this written, and finished sooner than I thought. This IS A SEQUEL - if you have not read The Eye of the Beholder, it is best to do so before reading this. It will make more sense. (And if you haven't read it in a while, you may want to refresh your memory on details before you begin this.)
Thanks to all the faithful readers/reviewers who provide encouragement, and LothirielofRohan who keeps me amused and on my toes!
By the way, I was looking through old reviews and noticed that it was Blue Eyes at Night who lobbied for "a vignette or something about little Elfwine, I am such a sucker for a happy little family...and babies" - three days later I began posting the Elfwine Chronicles. So I guess you have her to thank for them (well, partly - I still had to write them...)
Note: I'm no doctor, but I am fairly certain that the sort of medical condition described in this story could occur, and progress as indicated. But I cannot speak to the specifics of it and it is possible my story is truly "fiction" in this regard. Take it with a grain of salt!
WARNING: I rated this PG-13 more for the subject matter that naturally arises than anything else. Most of you will likely think that far too stiff a rating, but I didn't want to risk offending anyone. There is NOTHING explicit here; just frank subject matter.
Prologue
The lovers stood in the courtyard, wrapped in one another's arms, reluctant to be parted. At last, Eomer said with a sigh, "I must go, beloved."
Lothiriel pulled away slightly and nodded, holding back the tears that threatened to fall. "Safe journey to you," she whispered.
They had said their farewells the night before, in private, to avoid a scene the next day. Eomer gently touched her cheek, and could not resist one last kiss, before firmly turning away and mounting his horse. "I will write as soon as I arrive," he promised, and she answered with only a nod.
Prince Imrahil and his son, Amrothos, stepped forward. "Eomer," the Prince said, "I am pleased that things worked out – for both of you. We will see you soon. You are always welcome here."
Amrothos reached up and they clasped forearms, but said nothing. Amrothos had finally been told what the difficulty was, and why his family had left Edoras so suddenly, and Eomer was greatly relieved that, upon seeing his sister's present happiness, he was forgiven and they remained friends. With a nod of his head, Eomer turned his horse and signaled his party forward, out the castle gates. Lothiriel stood at the gates and watched them leave, until at last they crested a hill. Eomer turned and waved once before they rode out of sight.
Eomer's return trip to Edoras was bittersweet. While he had good memories of his visit to Gondor, and he had accomplished his purpose of seeing Eowyn's baby and convincing Lothiriel of his remorse and love for her, he was loath to be parted from her so soon after. He knew the winter months would hamper correspondence between them, and travel would be extremely difficult, so he would have to wait until spring before he could hope to see her again and renew their courtship in person.
During the time Eomer was recovering from the wound inflicted by the Haradrim dart, he and Lothiriel had spent a great deal of time together. At first, he felt a reticence in her, as though she was afraid to trust him too much, but at length it seemed she was persuaded that his feelings for her were genuine and true, and finally she fully opened her heart to him.
She had told him that, though she was very fond of him prior to his kissing her, she had never thought of him romantically. Later she confessed that was not entirely so. She had been taken with him from the outset, but believed there was little chance he would ever be interested in her, daughter of a prince or not, and so she had not permitted herself to entertain any such notions. And his actions had seemed to confirm this was so. She liked him immensely as a friend, but felt certain that was all they would ever be. When he had kissed her that night, for one brief moment she had dared allow herself to hope he might indeed have feelings for her. But Garod put in appearance, and she instantly believed the worst, considering herself a fool to have ever thought there could be anything between them. Once she was convinced of his sincerity and regard, however, he found her to be an incredibly loving and affectionate person, more even than he had thought her to be. Apparently, never having had anyone on which to shower her affection had pent up a lot of love, and he was the recipient of her attention. Between the fortnight in Emyn Arnen and another in Dol Amroth, they had spent a month getting better acquainted on a much different level.
Eomer had not thought he would ever admit to her what Garod had said about her, and his own initial reaction to her, but he was too honest to deceive her. And, in a way, he wanted her to know that he was choosing her because of something much greater and better than any outward beauty. In reflection, he thought that, in his past, the physical beauty of a woman had probably blinded him to looking deeper for something more lasting and worthwhile. And to his surprise, he found that his love for her made him see her differently; to his eyes she was truly the most beautiful woman he had ever known.
And now he was headed home. Suddenly that notion wasn't as appealing as it always had been before. Not until Lothiriel was back at his side would he ever find complete peace there again. He tried to push aside his sadness at their parting and focus on something more cheerful. He had little doubt his advisers would be pleased with the marriage he had agreed to, though they might be put out that they'd had no say in the matter. Still, the prospect of an alliance with the daughter to the prince of a neighboring fiefdom was sure to satisfy them.
He couldn't hold back a slight smirk as he thought of Garod and what his reaction would be upon learning who the new Queen of Rohan was to be. Eomer was almost tempted to torment the man with it as much as possible, but in all honesty, he suspected if Garod had not warned him away from her, he might not have taken so much notice of her. It was possible that, in a roundabout way, Garod had helped bring them together by making Eomer feel protective of his friend's daughter. At any rate, even if he did not torment Garod, the man was likely to suffer sufficiently just wondering what the new Queen would do to him if she knew of his slight.
The ride home proved uneventful, except in that Eomer felt more and more lonely the farther they travelled from Dol Amroth. It was then he began to realize that, even though he had come to understand he was in love with Lothiriel, he had held his feelings in check because of the rift between them. Once that was resolved, and he allowed his feelings full rein, he discovered he loved her even more deeply than he had known. It had crept up on him so quietly and subtly that he had never seen it coming. He remembered Eowyn talking about how she and Faramir had met and interacted, and then fallen in love. At least for Eowyn, she too had been taken unaware by her feelings for this man she had counted as a friend. It seemed he and his sister were alike in that respect.
xxxxx
The days might have proven monotonous during the winter had not Eomer begun to see Edoras, and particularly Meduseld, with new eyes. Before this, he had never given much thought to how it might appear to an outsider, but now he found himself contemplating what it would be like for Lothiriel to come here after living her entire life in Gondor. Gondor society was much more polished and advanced than the simple life they lived in Rohan. Royalty in his country was not so separated from the people as in Gondor, and it was not unusual for the king to participate in town activities more as a citizen than a monarch.
Some distance had been put between him and the men he commanded by his new position, and he missed the close friendship he had shared with a number of them. As he thought about it, and about how Lothiriel would fit in there, he determined he wanted to renew his friendships with old friends. He did not want to allow his sovereignty to cut him off from that, and he did not think that Lothiriel would enjoy being an untouchable ruler either. Part of what he had liked most about her, in their previous time together in his city, had been how well she fit in, accepted and appreciated this way of life.
Over the next few months, he made it a point to renew his ties with Elfhelm and Eothain. Elfhelm was an older man, but they had been friends a long time. He had fought alongside Eomer's father, and took something of a personal interest in the son when Eomund had been killed. Eomer and Eothain had grown up together, and managed to get into a great deal of mischief. He knew the two of them had sometimes driven his uncle to distraction; Eowyn also, when she had been able to persuade the duo to allow her to join them in their schemes.
When spring finally arrived, cold and damp, Eomer was greatly looking forward to bringing Lothiriel to Rohan and formally introducing her to his people as his betrothed. While the betrothal had been announced, he did wish to present her to them in person. In the meantime, life went on in Rohan, complete with the ongoing dangers from orcs and the Dunlendings. He would have liked to feel his homeland was safe and secure before bringing his wife here, but there was slow progress in reaching that state.
Chapter 1
Eomer shifted restlessly in the saddle. The whole eored was on edge as they made their way toward the small village where the Dunlendings had last been seen. They had attacked the village and done considerable damage to homes and crops, though fortunately the people had all escaped with their lives.
Eomer realized he had grown tired of warfare. The defeat of Mordor had seemed to signal peace for all of Middle-earth, but there were still disgruntled factions who battled on in their various spheres. Rohan was still plagued by the marauding Dunlendings, and roving bands of Orcs that remained at large. While it was good to be out from behind a desk and back in a saddle, Eomer was weary of the fighting and killing.
Elfhelm had just ridden up alongside him when, without warning, the dissident Dunlendings they sought burst from cover and attacked their party. Many in the eored were new to this, boys who were just recently of age and taking the place of those who had fallen in the War of the Ring. Nevertheless, they had been well trained and fought with conviction, and the eored greatly outnumbered their foe.
The tide was soon turning in Rohan's favor, when two Dunlendings went after the king. They sought to grab Firefoot's bridle, but the stallion reared in protest and they fell back in haste. Then Firefoot took a misstep and his hind leg gave way under him, causing him to come crashing to the ground, solidly landing on Eomer's lower body and knocking the wind from him. Quickly Eothain and Elfhelm felled the attackers, and rushed to the aid of their king. The two soldiers fought side by side defending the downed man until what was left of the Dunlendings broke off the attack and fled.
The king's horse had risen almost immediately, but Eomer lay dazed and obviously in pain. Once the pain eased somewhat, they sought to help him to stand, but Eomer gazed at his friends in horror. "I cannot move my legs!" he gasped hoarsely.
The pair eyed one another across him, then bodily lifted Eomer between them and essentially carried him over to Elfhelm's horse. With difficulty, and the help of others, they managed to get him in the saddle, and Elfhelm mounted behind him for the journey back to Edoras. The trip was made in grim silence. While not everyone knew of the king's paralysis, they all knew he was injured, and were sobered at the thought.
xxxxx
The healer finished his examination and sat back in his chair. "Your spine does not appear broken, my lord, but it was severely bruised. It is difficult to say what lasting effect that will have. It may be this paralysis is only temporary, but…" He didn't finish the sentence, though Eomer was in little doubt as to what he meant.
Eomer's jaw clenched as he felt all eyes on him. "Are you finished with me?" he asked tightly.
The healer nodded. "I will leave some herbs that can be added to hot water. They will help ease the pain while you heal. Beyond that, there is little more I can do."
"Then I wish to be alone." He looked meaningfully around the room, and all present hastily prepared to depart.
Last to go was Gamling. "My lord, is there anything you wish before I –"
Eomer cut him off. "Speak of this to no one, Gamling. And instruct the others to do likewise."
Gamling slowly nodded, but asked, "Shall I inform Lady Loth–"
"No! Do not tell her what has happened!" Eomer swallowed hard and glared at him.
"As you wish, my lord." Quickly he exited the room to where the others awaited him in the hall. He passed on the king's instructions not to mention his condition and they nodded their understanding.
xxxxx
The next two weeks were unpleasant for everyone. The king was not only bed-bound, but also surly with anyone who came near. He ate little and yelled much. He kept his curtains drawn and refused to see anyone other than Gamling, who he knew would do as he was told without asking questions.
Gamling had done as requested and not notified Lothiriel of the king's injury, but since nothing had been said about notifying his sister – and Gamling made it a point not to ask – he sent a letter to her about the situation and of the king's injunction not to tell his betrothed. That had been sent the day after the accident took place, but no word had come from Gondor since then.
And the king sank deeper and deeper into a depression. The council members grew ever more concerned at his refusal to meet with them, and Gamling had done his best to conduct business in Eomer's stead. In some instances, he essentially had to tell the council to act as they saw fit until the king was able to resume his duties. They were not satisfied with this answer, but it was the best Gamling could give them, and they had no other choice but to do so.
Even Elfhelm and Eothain, who had been close friends of the king prior to this, were turned away when they came to visit. They and Gamling shared dark looks over the situation, but none spoke of their greatest concern – that the king would never come to terms with this or return to the throne. As men, and warriors, it was not that they were unsympathetic to Eomer's circumstances. In truth, they were uncomfortably aware that, but for the grace of the Valar, it might be one of them facing this nightmare. But the most pressing need was to find a way to help Eomer cope, and they felt inadequate to that task.
xxxxx
Prince Imrahil was surprised when it was announced that his nephew, Faramir, had arrived to see him. There had been no dispatch advising of an impending visit, and he found that curious. Faramir strode quickly into the room, and just by his grave countenance, Imrahil knew this was not merely a social call.
"Uncle, I must speak with you and Lothiriel at once," he announced without preamble.
Imrahil nodded and signaled to the servant. "Would you find my daughter and send her to me?" The servant bowed and exited to his task.
When they were alone, Imrahil gave Faramir a questioning look and his nephew told him, "I will wait to go into detail once Lothiriel is here, but it concerns Eomer and it is not good news. She will likely need our support in this."
Again Imrahil nodded, though trepidation flooded through him. He had thought Lothiriel and Eomer had finally found happiness with each other. He very much hoped this was only a passing matter that could be overcome, for he did not wish to see either suffer.
A few moments later, Lothiriel joined them and Faramir took her hands as he sat down beside her. He thought for a moment how best to phrase his message, then finally pulled out a letter from his pocket and handed it to her to read. When she was done, she passed it to her father and sat staring at the floor. Once Imrahil looked up from reading, Faramir said, "I am sure Eomer is upset by this injury and not thinking clearly. Eowyn would go to Edoras if she could, but the baby is not old enough to travel such a distance yet. Despite his not wanting you told about this, Lothiriel, I think you should go to him. He needs you there, whether he realizes it or not."
Both her father and cousin watched her closely to see her reaction. At last she pulled her gaze from the floor and rose. "If an escort can be ready on the morrow, I will be prepared to depart first thing in the morning."
Her father stood and went to embrace her. "I will arrange for it. And when Amrothos returns from Minas Tirith, I will send him along to join you." He kissed her forehead and she gave him a watery smile.
"I will be all right, Father. Do not worry about me." She pulled free from his arms and stepped to her cousin. Giving him a hug, she said softly, "Thank you for letting me know, Faramir. And thank Eowyn for ignoring his wishes in the matter. Assure her I will take good care of him for her."
Faramir kissed her head as well. "She already knows you will. That is why she wanted you to be told."
Lothiriel moved slowly from the room, but with each step her stride became firmer and brisker, and she raced up the stairs to her bedchamber. Quickly she began pulling out clothing for the trip and told her maid-servant, "Fetch bags for me to pack in – not trunks. I want to travel as light as possible so as to shorten the journey." The servant nodded and hastily exited.
When she returned with the requested bags, they set about packing the belongings that were laid out on the bed. Within little over an hour, all was packed that could be today. A few last minute items would be added in the morning before their departure. And then Lothiriel was left alone to her thoughts.
The implications of Eomer's paralysis were not lost on her. A king was supposed to lead his men into battle, when necessary, and was also expected to produce an heir. Both of those activities were in jeopardy by this injury. And for a man, especially a warrior, that would be a difficult thing to accept.
She tried to envision life with a man who could not walk or do many of the things a husband normally would, but it was difficult to picture Eomer in that setting. He was so robust and full of life that it seemed impossible anything could keep him down.
And she was not the only one affected. How would the people of Rohan react? Would they want a different king who was not so impaired? If Eomer stepped down, then Eowyn would be the natural replacement, but would she and Faramir wish to give up their new home and titles and responsibilities in Gondor? Undoubtedly, Eowyn would not leave her country to fend for itself, but it would not be an easy decision for them to make.
Lothiriel had always loved children, and hoped to have many of her own. Could she let go of that dream without causing Eomer to feel as if he had failed her?
Question after question chased through her mind, but few solid answers manifested themselves. The only thing she was certain of was her love for Eomer, and her determination to do all she could to get them both through this experience without it driving them apart.
