Author's Note/Replies at bottom.
Chapter 11
I am not a man who is given to panic, but having someone so dear to me collapse right before my eyes was more than a little disconcerting, and frightening. It took only moments for me to scoop her up in my arms and race for the Houses of Healing. Even as I reached the front door and slammed my way inside, I was bellowing for assistance, and several Healers put in appearance from various directions, with startled looks on their faces.
Ioreth, an older Healer, took one look at my burden and waved me to follow her into a nearby room, where she had me lay Lothiriel on a bed. I could scarcely draw breath, but it was more from fear than the exertion of running there. Ioreth sent a servant to the Citadel to alert the King, knowing he was a friend of mine.
And then all I could do was sit by and wait. I paced, I stared, I sat, but I could do nothing to help her, and for a long time, it began to appear that neither could the Healers or Aragorn. It was well into the evening before Miren came rushing in, with Lissa in tow, and bid her tell us what she knew.
It seemed that the previous night, Lothiriel had complained about being bitten on her ankle by an insect of some kind, and the bite was bothering her. Lissa had seen Lothiriel smear some salve on it that morning as she dressed, but had thought no more about it. When they returned after a day spent walking around Minas Tirith with Kialmar, and discovered Lothiriel's collapse, Lissa had tearfully inquired if it was because of the insect bite, and Miren had brought her directly to us.
Once Ioreth and Aragorn had been alerted what to look for, they seemed to immediately recognize the cause and knew how to treat it. But it was a long haul. Lothiriel ran a high fever for almost five days, and even when it finally broke she still did not awaken.
We had moved her back to the Citadel, and Aragorn was tending to her personally, though a Healer came daily to assist in any way needed. But all I could do was hover nearby, watching and worrying that I might have lost my beloved before I ever truly had a chance to make her mine. They tried to persuade me to rest, but I would not leave her room, and finally a cot was brought in for me, though I could not sleep. A few times, I would lay down, seeking to rest, but I could not relax enough for slumber and it was not long before I was once again at Thiri's bedside, stroking her hand and begging her not to leave me.
As the days crept past, I began to write to fill the time. I wrote page after page of letters to Lothiriel, telling her everything. Of my love for her, of my agony over her illness, of my fear of losing her. At times I could force myself to greater optimism, and I would tell her about my hopes and dreams – all of which included her. I did not know if she would ever waken and get to read what I had written, but I could not stop writing. It became an obsession with me, and possibly the only thing that kept me sane while I waited.
And then, on the eighth day, she stirred. I was instantly at her side, anxiously clutching her hand, hardly daring to hope she would open her eyes. Relief flooded through me when at last her eyes blinked open, and she turned to me.
"Water?" she rasped, and I released her hand long enough to pour a goblet. I helped her sit up enough to take a few swallows, before she indicated she'd had enough and lay back down.
She blinked several times, seeming to try and remember where she was and what was going on. She gave me a perplexed look and asked, "What happened…we were going riding…"
I smiled gently. "We never made it. You have not awakened for eight days." The look in my eyes must surely have reflected the ordeal it had been for me.
"I am sorry, my love. What is wrong with me?"
"You were bitten by a poisonous insect and had a strong reaction to it. You can thank Lissa for saving you. If she had not told us about the insect, Aragorn might have been too late to save you." My voice broke, at the mere thought of how close she had come to death, and she squeezed my hand.
She lay silently a moment, and then it apparently registered what I had said. "Eight days! Noooo...what about Dol Amroth?"
I reached over and stroked her cheek, slightly amused that she could worry about such a thing just now. "Another time perhaps. For now, you just worry about getting well, and we will enjoy one another's company in Minas Tirith."
"But I wasted so much of our time together!" she wailed.
"It could not be helped. And at least you are alive so that we may eventually spend all the time we want together after we are married." I gave her a teasing grin and then feigned a hurt expression. "Do not worry. I do not for a moment think you did this on purpose to avoid being with me – truly I don't..."
She smiled in spite of herself, as I had hoped, but whispered, "But I so wanted to show you my home." Her disappointment was evident, and I leaned over to kiss her lightly on the lips.
"One day you will, dearest. I promise it will happen. Now rest while I go get Aragorn and let him know you are awake, and tell your family the good news." I rose, reluctantly releasing her hand. I was loath to leave, even for only a few moments, but I knew the others would want to know as well.
Soon the room was full of family, and King Elessar joined them a few moments later. He was pleased with her progress and instructed her on what she needed to do for the next several days as she recuperated. I listened attentively, assuming I would have to insist she do as directed rather than as she preferred. We could see, however, that she was still weary and needed to rest, so they all left though I remained at her side. My own exhaustion was catching up with me, and she must have noticed, for her hand caressed my face as I leaned near her. After a moment's thought, she shifted over to the side of the bed away from me, and gestured for me to join her. Naturally, I hesitated; it would be more proper if I used the nearby cot, but I was relucant to be even that far from her, and I decided if I stayed on top of the covers and fully clothed no one would think anything untoward had taken place. I settled down beside her and quickly dozed off, with my arm cast reassuringly across her. I was asleep in no time.
Over the next few days, Thiri gradually grew stronger and was able to sit up, then leave her bed for short periods. Once she was out of danger, Imrahil became less tolerant of my constant presence in her bedchamber, and insisted that I return to my own room at night. I understood why he did so, but I had grown so accustomed to always being near her, that I found I very much missed even her mere presence beside me. Our wedding could not come soon enough so that we would never again have to be parted.
When at last she felt up to it, we ventured outside, with me hovering anxiously at her elbow. She teased me about acting like a mother hen, but I knew she was pleased by my attentiveness. She made for the garden where we had spent such a pleasant afternoon the day after we met, and we settled under the same tree as before. We talked for quite awhile, and she told me much of her home by the sea, since she was not going to be able to show it to me. Eventually, we ended up asleep, her head against my shoulder.
We were awakened some time later by Faramir. "Wake up, you two!" he said, shaking Lothiriel's shoulder.
I blinked my eyes open and looked at him curiously.
Beside me, she rubbed the sleep dust from her eyes and yawned. "Cousin? What is it?"
He smiled affectionately at her and answered, as I slowly came fully awake as well, "I have discovered in my reading that in the past, when Gondor previously had kings, it was the common practice to have the King of Gondor bless all royal betrothals, including those of other realms. When the kings disappeared, naturally the practice ended, but since we have a king now and since he was not present in Rohan for your betrothal, I thought you might like to be the first to reinstate the practice."
Lothiriel glanced at me and answered, "I suppose we could. King Elessar does not mind doing this?"
"Not at all. He thinks it a good idea also."
She shrugged and held out her hand for him to help her up. I rose as well and Thiri glanced at our casual attire, asking, "Should we go change clothes? Do I need to find my family and Eowyn?"
"No, come as you are. This will not be terribly formal. I do not think we need to find your families since they were all present for the betrothal anyway. I just thought this was something you might want to do since you are disappointed in not getting to take Eomer to Dol Amroth. I know it won't make up for that, but maybe it helps a little."
She narrowed her eyes and said, "Why is it I get the feeling you are not telling me something?"
He smiled noncommittally. "Must just be your suspicious nature, Thiri. What I have told you is the truth."
I had the feeling that she still did not entirely believe him, and there did seem to be a bit of smugness in his countenance. Still, I could not imagine he would pull a prank on his cousin while she was still recovering, no matter how much he might be inclined to get even with me for his wedding night. Lothiriel apparently decided to go along with him, despite her suspicions, and we followed him to the King's council chambers.
It was a simple ceremony, and almost seemed more of a binding than a blessing, but lovely nonetheless. Only the two of us, Faramir and the King and Queen were present. Afterwards, the King and Queen kissed both of us and wished us well, assuring us they were looking forward to the wedding in March.
Too soon the week was ending and I would have to return to Rohan. I knew the snows would make it difficult for messengers to get through the mountains, so I was glad I had written all those letters to her previously. One day, while she had been resting, I ventured out into Minas Tirith and was able to find a shop where I bought a sizeable chest that would hold all the letters, and more. I suppose it was a rather silly gesture on my part, and had Eowyn known of it, she would have teased me mercilessly for becoming a hopeless romantic. But I very much suspected Lothiriel would be pleased, and would understand why I had done it.
The day of our parting was overcast and gloomy, which suited my mood perfectly. Lothiriel and her family would still be staying in Minas Tirith another few days, so she spent the morning helping me get packed. She seemed surprised when I ignored the chest sitting on a nearby desk. "What about this?" she asked. "You need to put it with your other belongings."
I shook my head and turned to her with a sheepish grin. "That is for you. I will take it to your room before I leave."
Curious, she asked, "What is in it?" She reached for the lid, but I playfully slapped her hand.
"You may open it only after I am gone! It is a surprise!"
She gave me a questioning look, but made no further attempts. Still, it held her attention the rest of the time she was there, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw her keep glancing at it. The servants began carrying my trunks out, and I picked up the chest and took her hand, leading her down the hall. We dropped the chest in her room and then continued on, but I detoured to our spot in the garden. Once there, I wrapped my arms around her and held her in a tight embrace. "I will miss you," I whispered. "But when next we meet, we will wed and can stay together forever. That thought will keep me warm until then." Overwhelming tenderness welled up inside of me, a rather new sensation for a consummate warrior, but I was not embarrassed to let her see the depth of my feelings for her. I was sure my heart was safe in her hands.
Tears were beginning to form in her eyes, and I was grateful I had sought seclusion for our farewell. She clung to me, her arms tightly around my waist. It took a few moments for her to gain enough control to respond, "I love you, and I will wait however long it takes, but I will not like the waiting!"
And then we were kissing, almost in desperation, as if to imprint the memory indelibly on our hearts. When we finally broke apart, I could feel myself shaking all over. I had not realized just how wrenching it would be to let her part from me again. No wound I ever received in battle pained me more. I drew a ragged breath, knowing there was no escaping the inevitable, and she suddenly fixed me with a weak grin. "I expect you to keep your hands off Danwen in my absence," she chided. "Amrothos told Eowyn all about her to enlist her help in keeping an eye on you when I wasn't there, but I had to point out to him that she wouldn't be there either. So you will have to keep an eye on yourself!"
I rested my forehead against hers and assured her. "Unless Danwen can transform herself into you, she holds no attraction for me. I will not be content with anyone but you in my arms." And it was true. Never again would I find anyone else acceptable.
It was Faramir who found us again. "I know it is not what you want to hear, but everyone is waiting for the King of Rohan to put in appearance so the group may depart for Edoras," he told us quietly. And then he was gone.
Reluctantly, we moved apart and walked hand in hand from the garden. Our steps were like those of a condemned man going to the gallows, but no matter how slowly we walked, we eventually reached the assembled group of horses and riders.
Eowyn hurried forward to bid me a tearful farewell, and Faramir stood behind her. After giving my sister a warm embrace, I eyed Faramir sternly. "I am counting on you to take good care of her...make her happy."
Faramir wrapped his arms around his wife and smiled. "That, dear brother, I do with the greatest pleasure." He kissed her head and added, "Do not fear. I will cherish her always." I simply nodded in response, not at all surprised by the reply, but still it tore at me. In an instant, I was leaving the two women who were dearest to my heart and riding away. I swallowed hard to hold my emotions in check.
Next I turned to bid the King and Queen farewell, before turning again to Lothiriel. Miren stepped to her side and pressed a packet of letters into her hands. She blushed slightly in embarrassment. "I know it is a bit ridiculous of me, but I have already written you several letters." She handed me the packet. The irony of it brought a strange expression to my face that puzzled her. "What?" she asked.
I shook my head. "Nothing. You will find out soon enough. But I thank you for these. I will be glad to have them on the journey home." After a moment, I lifted my eyes and stepped toward her. Kissing her forehead, for I was afraid to do more, I whispered, "Soon."
Through her tears, she nodded and managed to answer, "Soon."
I turned quickly away, and she seemed to understand that lingering would only make it more difficult for me, so she did not try to stop me. As we began our journey through the streets of Minas Tirith, she took up a vantage point on the wall. There she remained until we were too far distant. I had not meant to look back, but I did several times, and it pleased me that she stood vigil until I was lost from sight.
A/N: Thanks to all who have reviewed. I know Eomer seems a bit angsty and insecure through much of this, but hopefully I was able to get across a viable reason for that. He's never had much stability in his life so he keeps thinking it is all going to fall apart like everything always has.
Replies:
utsuri – Yes, Lothiriel also mentioned the bucket of oats and Faramir. In some cases, it will seem like Lothiriel and Eomer are thinking the same thing because I keep part of the story identical, but that was intentional. Partly it gives you a frame of reference for the other "half", and partly it is intended to show you how much along the same lines they are thinking without even realizing it. I did quite a bit about Eomer and the bug bite, but I probably didn't do as much as I could/should have done with Aragorn's blessing. I think in my mind it was a more significant event for Lothiriel, as a citizen of Gondor, than it was for Eomer, so I didn't really add much there.
