Thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank you for all of the great reviews. I am so glad you all like this story so far! I am so happy! Anyway, I hope you all like this chapter and please, please let me know I found it more inspirational to write when I had such great reviews like I did for my last few chapters! Lots of love to everyone who reads my stories!
Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with Lord of the Rings. I only own Lilly.
Chapter 12: Winning a Losing Battle
Eowyn spotted her brother as he searched the hall for someone with a saddened look on his face. Eowyn was furious with him and was about to give him a piece of her mind when he looked at her. "Thank you Eowyn" he said. Eowyn threw his cloak at him and he looked at her confused.
"I must speak with you," she said as she took his arm and led him outside. Eomer looked at his sister as they stopped in the garden.
"What is it Eowyn?" Eowyn looked up at her brother and crossed her arms over her chest.
"What exactly are your intentions with Lilly?" she asked and Eomer gaped at his sister.
"What do you mean?" Eowyn sighed. Suddenly a woman came from the hall and smiled at Eomer.
"There you are, Eomer," she said. Eowyn looked at the beautiful and tall woman that appeared next to her brother and she realized who Lilly was talking about. She watched as Eomer smiled at the woman. It seemed obvious to Eowyn that she had misread her brother's thoughts about Lilly.
"Then it is true," Eowyn whispered as she dropped her arms from in front of her. Eomer looked at Eowyn and furrowed his brow. She looked from the woman to her brother and shook her head at him before she turned and left him with the unknown woman. Lothiriel watched as the golden haired woman left looking broken.
"Was that your love Lillyana?" she asked as she looked at the king. Eomer looked at her and shook his head.
"No, that was my sister. I was unable to find Lillyana in the hall," he said still confused by his sister's confrontation.
"Perhaps she has retired for the evening. It has been a trying day for everyone." Eomer nodded and sighed.
"I do believe I have to agree." He bowed his head and smiled. "Thank you for your company this evening, Lothiriel, but I am afraid that I shall retire." She smiled at him and nodded her head.
"Of course. Rest well, Eomer." He nodded and went inside carrying his cloak. He left the hall and made his way down the corridor to his chambers. Eomer stopped before he opened his door when he heard sobbing coming from Lilly's room. He walked over to her door and went to turn the handle to find it locked. Eomer put his hand against the cool wood and sighed. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he turned back around and entered his room.
The next few days passed and Eomer had yet to see Lilly and when he would ask Eowyn where she was, Eowyn would just shake her head and walk away from him. It was the evening before Eowyn's wedding and he was walking through one of the gardens with Lothiriel. "I wish I could find her so you could meet her," Eomer said as they walked. Lothiriel smiled and nodded.
"I would like to meet her as well. She sounds lovely," Lothiriel said. Eomer nodded.
"That she is." They walked a little more completely unaware of the woman watching them from her balcony.
Lilly sighed and went into her room. There was a knock on her door and she walked over to the door. When she opened the door, she was surprised to see Legolas standing on the other side.
"Good afternoon, Lady Lillyana," he said quietly. Lilly bowed her head and subconsciously smoothed her blue skirt.
"Good afternoon, Prince Legolas," she whispered when she looked back at him. He smiled at her and held out his arm.
"Walk with me?" Lilly looked at him like he grew another head but she nodded and laced her arm with his.
"Prince Legolas, I would like apologize for my outburst the other day." He smiled and looked at her from the corner of his eye as they walked down the hall.
"It is alright, Lady Lillyana." Lilly smiled thankful he wasn't angry with her. "I wanted to talk to you about that night. I believe you have a misunderstanding regarding King Eomer and Princess Lothiriel." Lilly stopped and kept her eyes on the floor. She unlaced her arm and shook her head.
"No, I don't." She paused and looked up at him. Legolas felt his own heart clench at the complete change in her eyes. They were now dull and full of sadness. She turned and quickly went back into her room. He heard the door lock and he sighed. Legolas quickly made his way down the path he was going to take her and found who he was looking for. Eomer stood alone looking out over the city.
"Eomer," he said quickly. Eomer looked at the elf and gave him a small smile.
"Legolas, what can I do for you?" Eomer asked. Legolas shook his head.
"It is not what you can do for me; it is what you can do for Lady Lillyana." Eomer became alarmed and he stood straighter.
"What has happened to her? Is she hurt?" Legolas sighed.
"Physically? No, but she is in great pain." Eomer furrowed his brow. That was all Legolas said before he left the horse master confused standing in the hall. Eomer sighed and made his way to Lilly's room determined to find her and speak to her.
Her door was locked so he knocked, but received no answer. "Lillyana?" he asked through the door. He still got no answer. "Lillyana, please speak to me." Still no answer he sighed and shook his head. He saw a maid walking down the hall and he stopped her. "Is there a master key to unlock the doors?" The maid just looked at him and he asked again. She nodded.
"Aye, milord," she said quietly.
"Retrieve it. I must check on Lady Lillyana. I believe she has fallen ill and is not answering her door." The maid nodded and ran down the hall. She returned a moment later carrying a key. She handed it to him and he smiled at her. "Thank you." She bowed and stood in the hall while Eomer unlocked Lilly's door and went inside.
Lilly heard her door open and she stepped back into the room from the balcony. She stopped when she saw Eomer standing there. He looked at her and his heart dropped. Her eyes were glassy, red and swollen from tears and she looked tired. "Lillyana, what is it?" he asked as he quickly made his way to her. He reached for her but she backed away and shook her head.
"Leave me," she whispered before she turned around. Eomer furrowed his brow and stepped to her. He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him.
"Why do you weep?" he asked concern etched across his face. She shook her head as tears filled her eyes. Lilly hated that he was so close to her. She hated that she could smell his scent of spice mixed with horses and his own unique scent. Lilly hated the fact that she let herself fall in love with a man she could never in a million years have. She pulled herself from his arms and went outside. He followed behind her closely. He heard her take a deep breath and she turned around to face him.
"Leave me, your majesty." Eomer shook his head.
"I will not leave you until you tell me what is wrong."
"Everything!" she yelled. Eomer was taken back, he had never heard her yell or look this broken. "Everything is wrong! I want to go home and away from this place, away from Gondor, away from Rohan, away from everything! I want my life back!" Eomer just looked at her. He had thought she was happy in Rohan, in Middle Earth. He thought she was happy with him.
"What of me? Do you want to be away from me?" he asked. Lilly looked at him, her mind and heart screaming 'no' but her lips told him something else.
"Yes," she whispered. Eomer looked as though he had been slapped.
"Why?" Lilly closed her eyes.
"Because I am a fool." She turned around and walked to the railing of the balcony. Eomer slowly walked over to her and once again put his hands on her shoulders to turn her to face him. He stood so close to her he could smell her scent of heather once again. He raised her chin so she was looking at him.
"You are no fool, Lillyana. You are a beautiful and strong woman," he said quietly as he looked into her eyes.
"I am a fool, your majesty. I let myself grow to care deeply for someone forgetting that they were destined for another." Eomer furrowed his brow.
"Explain it to me, please." Lilly sighed. It was hard to get her brain to function when he was that close but she pulled herself together and looked up at him.
"I am in love your majesty, but the man I have grown to love cares for another. I have seen them together many times and each time my heart breaks more. I knew he was destined for her but I let myself fall in love with him anyway in hopes that he would return my feelings but I know now I was wrong." Eomer watched her speak, his heartbreaking but hope shining through. She laughed quietly and shook her head. "I've never even called him by his name and yet she does freely." Eomer sighed and squeezed her shoulder gently.
"Who is it that you love, Lillyana?"
"I cannot tell you, for you will surely think me the fool then." Eomer shook his head.
"I will never think you a fool. Never." Lilly took a deep breath and looked deep into his chocolate eyes.
"The man I love, your majesty, is you." Eomer just looked at her. Lilly knew he would not let her travel back to Rohan and now she would be alone all over again. Tears filled her eyes and she looked down at her hands. A smile found its way across his lips and he shook his head.
"There is no other for me in this world than the woman that stands before me," Eomer whispered to her. Lilly looked up at him with her brow furrowed. "I have loved you since the day you woke from your fever all those months ago, Lillyana. There will never be another that can make me feel the way I feel when I'm with you." He cupped both of her cheeks and held her face in his hands. Tears escaped her eyes as he spoke and he gently wiped them away. "I love you, Lillyana." With that he pulled her face to his and kissed her. Lilly was surprised to say the least but soon she found herself responding to his gentle menstruations and soon she felt his tongue slid across her lips. Lilly had no idea what she was doing because she had never been kissed like that before, but she slowly opened her lips and allowed him the access he had longed for.
She tasted sweet, sweeter than he imagined he heard her moan quietly before he slowly pulled away from her. When they broke apart, he stared down at her. Her eyes were still closed and she seemed like she was in another world. Lilly slowly opened her eyes and looked up at the King of the Mark. "What about Lothiriel?" she asked quietly. Eomer furrowed his brow.
"She is but an acquaintance. I required her advice on you actually. I was going to tell you everything in my heart tomorrow after Eowyn's wedding, but when Legolas told me you were in pain I put it off no longer." Lilly smiled at him and he pulled her closer. "I have longed to hold you in my arms since your birthday. I had hoped you realized my feelings towards you then, when I gave you my mother's hair comb. I vowed to give it to the one I loved and wished to marry." Lilly's eyes widened.
'That is what Eowyn meant,' Lilly thought. "I thought I was setting myself up for heartbreak, your majesty." Eomer smiled and cupped her cheek once more.
"Eomer, my name is Eomer." Lilly smiled at him.
"Eomer," Lilly whispered and he closed his eyes. His name never sounded more intriguing than it did coming from her lips. He opened his eyes and smiled at her before once again taking her lips with his as the sun disappeared behind the horizon.
