Thank you all for the reviews! I know I just updated earlier today, but I felt inspired to update again! Oh, and xSilverShadowsx, yes the war of the ring is over. I hope you enjoy this chapter and as always, let me know!

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with Lord of the Rings. I only own Lilly.


Chapter 3: A King's Wrath and Kindness

Eomer made his way to the library to speak with Roryn. A maid had told him they were holding council there, so he quickly moved down the corridors to the library. Eomer burst threw the doors and Roryn along with three other advisors stood. Roryn looked angrily at the door but his face lightened when he saw it was his king. "Milord! I was not made aware of your arrival! Welcome home sire!" Roryn exclaimed as he walked over to Eomer. Eomer just looked at the man in front of him with anger etched across his face.

"Everyone, out. I must speak with Roryn," Eomer said his eyes never leaving the man's form. Roryn's face dropped and the three men that were with him quickly left the room and looked at the two guardsmen that stood outside the door strangely as they made they way down the corridors.

"Milord, may I ask as to what you would like to speak with me of?" Roryn asked nervously. Eomer took a deep breath before he began.

"It was brought to my attention that you have kept a young woman prisoner while I have been away, Roryn." Roryn's eyes widened slightly but he nodded.

"Aye, milord. That is true. She is believed to be a witch." Eomer glared at the man.

"A witch?" Roryn nodded. "If she is a witch then why has she not cursed you or used her magic on you to set herself free? Why would she continue to let you strike her?" Roryn looked away from Eomer's face and began to pace nervously.

"Well-" Roryn began but was cut off by Eomer.

"She is near death because of sickness and because of the beatings she received from you." Roryn looked quickly at Eomer fear evident across his face when he looked into his king's eyes. "Guards!" The two men waiting in the hall came in and Roryn looked from them to the king quickly.

"What do you intend to do milord? Throw me in the dungeons?" Roryn asked with laughter in his voice. Eomer chuckled and nodded.

"That is exactly my plan." Roryn's smile fell and the two guards grabbed both of his arms. "So, you know Roryn. If she dies your punishment shall be the same, however, if she lives you shall be banished forever from the land of Rohan and if you are ever seen on these lands again, orders will be set for your death." Roryn looked at his king disbelief evident on his face as the guards dragged him out of the room and down to the dungeons. Eomer sighed and made his way back to the healing chambers to check and see how the young woman. Gamling had said her name was Lillyana. 'Her name is definitely different from any that I have ever heard of before and her dress is odd to say the least. Her story makes sense, however, I would like to have the chance to speak with her further,' Eomer thought to himself as he made his way through the corridors. Once he arrived he saw Gamling, Eowyn, and Faramir inside the chambers talking with Eowirethien. He quickened his pace and entered the chambers. Eowyn turned and looked at her brother with relief, but sadness still in her eyes. Eomer walked to her quickly and glanced at the bed he had placed the young woman on. She was still there. Eowirethien had washed her and changed her clothes as well. A damp rag laid across her forehead but her skin was deathly pale and her bruises even more evident. Eomer looked at his sister and sighed. "How is she?" he asked her quietly.

"Eowirethien said you had brought her just in time, but she does not know when she will wake. Her body has been through too much and Eowirethien is worried. She has not said so, but I can see it in her eyes," Eowyn paused and looked towards the bed. "How could he do this Eomer? It is not like him." Eomer shook his head as she looked back at him.

"I do not know Eowyn." Eomer moved from her and walked over to Eowirethien who was looking at him expectantly. "Tell me of her condition Eowirethien." The older woman nodded.

"She has several bruises and I placed a salve on each to assist in their healing. The wound on her forehead was healing well already and was not infected. I just cleaned it and placed a bandage over the cut. What worries me is her fever, milord. She has gone a long time with out it being tended to. Right now she sleeps deeply and I am uncertain as to when she shall wake," Eowirethien said quickly. Eomer sighed and nodded. "She could be moved to a private chamber, milord, and I can tend to her more effectively." She suggested and Eomer looked at the young woman and nodded.

"It shall be done. She may reside in my old chambers. I shall carry her there once it is ready for her," Eomer said. Gamling looked at Eomer and shook his head.

"Milord, I can take her once the chambers are ready. You have traveled far and are in need of rest," Gamling said. Eomer shook his head.

"It is alright Gamling. I shall take her. I want to ensure that she will be well taken care of," Eomer said as he looked once more at the woman on the bed. He looked at Gamling. "See to it that the chambers are made ready." Gamling nodded and quickly left the room. Eowyn smiled at her brother before she walked over to Lilly and took the rag that rested on her head and dipped it into the basin of cool water and rung it out before placing it back on her head. As she pressed the rag gently on Lilly's forehead, Lilly opened her eyes slightly. They were glazed and she had a hard time seeing. Eowyn looked like an angel to Lilly as the sunlight reflected off of her golden hair. Eowyn gasped when she saw Lilly's eyes open. Eowirethien, Eomer, and Faramir looked at her. Lilly gave Eowyn a slight smile but she was struck with a sudden sharp pain in her head and her face turned to a grimace. She looked up at Eowyn pleadingly as the pain dulled but remained. Eowyn took the woman's hand and gently squeezed it. Lilly tried to squeeze her hand back but her strength was no longer there.

"Please," Lilly said her voice quiet and full of sadness. Eowyn could read in her glazed eyes that she wanted release and that she was scared. "Please, make the pain go away." Eowirethien quickly rushed over to her bedside but Lilly had already slipped back into unconsciousness. Eomer walked over to Eowyn and took her hand from Lilly's. Eowyn quickly looked at her brother with tears in her eyes.

"What is it Eowyn?" Eomer asked. Faramir joined the siblings and Eowyn quickly took his hand.

"She spoke to me. She begged me to make the pain go away," Eowyn said quietly. Eomer nodded and Faramir gripped her hand tighter.

"Perhaps you should retire to your room for a while, Eowyn. As should you Faramir. I will have someone come and retrieve you if she wakes again," Eomer said quietly as he watched Eowirethien crush various herbs as she looked at Lilly. He turned his attention back to Eowyn and Faramir. The two nodded in agreement and both left the room. Eomer made his way over to Eowirethien. He watched as she replaced the damp cloth on Lilly's head and she held open Lilly's mouth and dripped some of the herbal liquid into her mouth. "Will she live?" Eomer asked as he moved his gaze to Eowirethien. She looked at her king and had no answer to give him.

"I do not know, milord. It is hard to say for certain," Eowirethien said. Just then, Gamling came into the room.

"Your majesty, her chambers is ready," he said quickly and looked at Lilly who still laid motionless. Eomer nodded and turned back to Eowirethien.

"Is it alright to move her?" he asked. Eowirethien nodded and Eomer picked Lilly up.

"Just keep her covered with the blanket," Eowirethien said as she draped a warm blanket around Lilly. Eomer nodded his head and turned to leave. "I shall join you in just a moment, milord. I must gather some more herbs." Eomer nodded and proceeded from the room.


Soon, Eomer had entered his old chambers and gently laid Lilly down on the bed. He covered her once again with the blanket. He sighed and began to make his way out of the room when a voice stopped him.

"Mommy? Mommy, please wake up," the voice said. Eomer turned around and furrowed his brow as he looked at the young woman. Tears fell from her closed eyes and he walked over to her and looked down at her. Suddenly, her face changed slightly but it still held pain. "Please don't! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, please." Eomer became alarmed as to what she was seeing. After a moment longer, her face became calm and she seemed to be resting peacefully. Eomer sighed and brushed a lock of dark hair from her face.

"What haunts you, milady?" he asked quietly. He sighed again and stood but his eyes remained on Lilly. "Whatever it is, I will ensure that it will no longer have any power over you." With that Eomer turned and left the room quickly, surprised at his own promise to a woman he had never even spoken to before.


The days passed and Lilly still had not woken from her feverish sleep. The fever remained and she would constantly repeat those same words over and over again. Eowyn would tell Eomer of her condition each night at the evening meal and the worry was always evident on his face.

It had been two weeks and Eomer seemed to have given up hope of Lilly ever waking and the thought of that seemed to pain his heart greatly. He was sitting with Eowyn and Faramir finishing their meal when Eowyn gave him her daily report. "Brother, I have good news for you regarding Lilly," Eowyn said as she pushed her plate away from her. Eomer finished sipping his drink and sat it down looking at his sister. "Her fever broke this morning and Eowirethien thinks she may wake soon." Eomer smiled and so did Faramir.

"That is wonderful news!" Faramir exclaimed and Eowyn smiled brightly at him. Eomer nodded.

"That is good news. We shall be able to learn more about her as well once she wakes," Eomer said. Eowyn gave her brother a knowing smile. For some reason she could see the connection her brother had to the unconscious woman. She had caught him looking in the doorway several times when she helped Eowirethien tend to Lilly, and each time she would smile. Eomer stood and excused himself from the table. "Please excuse me; there is a matter that I must attend to." Eowyn and Faramir nodded and turned to each other when he exited the room.

Eomer made his way down to Lilly's room and stepped inside. He saw Eowirethien brushing out Lilly's dark hair, a color he found to be rich and smooth and more beautiful than the fair colored hair of all the maidens in his land. He mentally shook his head and stepped over to Eowirethien. He smiled at her and she bowed her head to him. "Good evening, King Eomer. What can I do for you?" Eowirethien asked as she sat down the hairbrush. Eomer smiled and shook his head.

"Nothing at the moment Eowirethien. However, I would like for you to get me the moment she wakes. I would like to speak with her," Eomer said. Eowirethien smiled and nodded her head.

"Of course, your majesty. As soon as she wakes I shall retrieve you." Eomer nodded and smiled.

"Thank you Eowirethien." He turned but his eyes stopped when they landed on Lilly's sleeping face. She finally looked peaceful and he noticed the thin scar on the top of her forehead by her hair line. "Will she always carry that scar, Eowirethien?" Eowirethien looked and nodded her head sadly.

"Aye she will, milord. She carries a few other scars as well on her back. They are old though and long," Eowirethien said quietly. Eomer looked at her quickly and furrowed his brow.

"Whip marks?" he asked. Eowirethien shook her head.

"I know not for certain your majesty, but that is what they appear to be." Eomer sighed heavily and shook his head.

'How could one strike one so small, let alone whip them?' Eomer thought bitterly to himself. He looked at Eowirethien and gave her a slight smile. "Good night Eowirethien." Eowirethien bowed her head once more.

"Good night your majesty." With that Eomer left the room and went to his study to finish some trade work, all the while thinking of the dark haired woman.