98. A Lazy Summer's Day, a Rather Large Book, a Letter and Two Surprises

I stopped smiling early next morning, when I puked my guts out again. Only this time, there was a bucket. The bucket was held by an unflinching Ini. I was held by a very flinching Éomer.

When I was deposited in the bed again, feeling light-headed and hollow with the vomiting, I felt as if I would never smile again. Visions of coca-cola and Gummibärchen were dancing in my mind.

On earth I had never particularly cared for that brownish-black sweetish bubbly soft-drink. Or the multi-coloured gummi sweets.

Now I felt as if I would die without them.

I felt how my eyes filled with tears behind the closed lids.

Was my sanity slipping completely? I should be over the moon with joy at being pregnant, not crying for coke and sweets!

I opened my eyes only to look into my husband's worried face. He looked so cute, all pale, his eyes huge and dark – confused and really worried.

"I think that is normal," I said. "Don't worry."

But he had already called for Elaine.

Her examination was quick. She sniffed at the vomit. She ascertained that I had no temperature, no bleeding, no pain.

Finally the healer smiled at the king of Rohan, who looked beside himself with worry. "Everything is as it should be. It is only a bit of morning sickness. Many women suffer from that condition. I recommended a bit of dry bread and water. And perhaps my lady should stay in bed for an hour or two longer. There is really no need to be concerned. The queasiness should pass in a few weeks."

I lay in our bed, staring at the dark green curtains around the bed. I felt utterly exhausted and feeble. A few weeks…

I remembered reading romance novels with pregnant heroines. Now was the time, when the heroine in those novels would get all annoyed and infuriated at her husband for getting her in this uncomfortable condition. Unfortunately, the puking seemed to have robbed me of any energy to get angry. At anyone. After all, I had cheerfully participated in the activities that led to my condition. So it would not be very fair to get mad at Éomer, sitting at my side, holding my hand and looking positively grey with worry. But as it was, the best I could come up with was a nod, a very wavering smile and a whispered "Okay".

At least I did not break into tears and start crying for my mother and a bottle of coke.

oooOooo

After a few weeks the morning sickness passed and was replaced by a feeling of energy and happiness. If I had not known better, I would have said that I was continually high.

High and hyper.

For the first time in my life, I thought that I was beautiful whenever I looked into the mirror in my dressing-room and Éomer's glowing smile whenever he looked at me supported this delusion. I knew, of course, that this was only baby-hormones, fooling pregnant women about the certain outcome… but even thinking that and knowing that sometime in the future there would be birth and blood and pain… now that the bouts of queasiness had passed, it was really hard to stop smiling at all or to keep my thoughts away from my still flat belly and its tiny inhabitant…

When would I be able to feel him for the first time? Or her?

Once again my hand slid down to my stomach. Sorcha smiled at me, letting her embroidery sink into her lap. "It will be a bit until you can feel him," she said.

I sighed, giving up on the book about Rohan's laws on the table in front of me. I just could not concentrate today. "I am impatient. I want to really feel that he is in there."

Sorcha laughed at that. "Towards the end you will only think about how to get him out of there."

I raised my eyebrows at my friend. "Uhhh… thank you for that encouraging comment."

But I just could not worry or feel apprehensive. I could only smile. When I saw how in turn Helmichis smiled at Sorcha, the smile on my face only widened, although I sighed a little at the same time. Helmichis was so sweet in his unobtrusive, persistent suit of my red-haired friend. But Sorcha was set on ignoring "the boy" as she insisted calling him when we were alone, in spite of my raised eyebrows. I really liked Helmichis. And he was so obviously smitten with my friend…

I turned my attention back to the book I had wanted to study. My fingers traced the golden designs on the book cover. Though book is perhaps the wrong word. Tome. Folio. A book you can carry around in a bag. This slab of parchment and leather-cover embossed in gold was too heavy for me to carry anywhere. You might think that with such a huge book the letters contained in it might at least be approaching a size of being easily readable. I rubbed my forehead. Easily readable books… At the moment, a nice paperback novel and a bottle of coke were tied for the first place of things I missed most from the world where I was born.

But at least I was able to read by now. Cirth and Tengwar. Rohirric, Common and Sindarin. After a struggle of almost two years I had finally learned my letters. But that does not mean reading was a lark now. There were only very few casual pieces of writing in the library of Meduseld. The tales and legends of the Rohirrim are kept alive in songs and stories, not in books. So the novels, the plays and the poems to be found in the library were either of Elvish or Gondorian origin. Also, there was still too much I had to learn about Rohirric laws and history, to have much time for poems or plays.

No, I did not sigh. I actually enjoyed getting well versed in the laws and the history of my new home. This particular tome was a collection of Rohirric laws. It began with the laws of Calenardhon, the province of Gondor that Rohan had been before it had become a kingdom in its own right. Therefore it was written in Tengwar and in Common. But that was only the main part of the book: a survey of Rohirric law beginning with the Deed of Eorl and ending with the Statute of Thengel concerning the royal estates. The other parts of the book (the more important parts in fact) were annotations at the sides, between the lines of the main part of the text and at the bottom of the text. And those annotations were completely mixed: in the kind of writing that was used and as well as in the language. As far as I could tell, the earliest annotations were in Tengwar and in Westron. Then, they switched to Tengwar, Rohirric. Probably with the development of something like well, not national identity… but certainly Rohirric identity. After that came a period where Cirth and Rohirric was used. Perhaps a time of estrangement between Rohan and Gondor? The latest comments were again in Westron and in a very clear and "modern" version of Tengwar.

Trying to make sense of the words was a challenge. Understanding what it was all about was an awesome endeavour. But since that case with Danso, people had begun requesting audiences with me. And more often than not, the pleas that were brought to me were of a more or less legal nature. Therefore I made every effort to understand every pernickety detail of the Rohirric laws and customs. Éomer said that I was keeping Thorkel and Lamont on their toes. Well, since my morning sickness had passed and I felt so incredibly alert and active, they looked rather haggard and worn. Maybe it was not quite that bad. But I could see the sighs in their eyes that they were too polite to voice, when I came to them with yet another question, asking for yet another lesson…

But today I did not feel like plaguing any of the old scholars. I did not even feel like reading. The day was much too beautiful for that. It was the end of Cermië, and the world was filled with sunshine and a wonderful summery blue. The summer was warm, but not hot. There had been enough rain so far that the crops looked excellent, far better than in the last four years, or so I was told. The lush green of spring had changed to the more subdued shades of summer. The air was mild and sweet, with that subtle taste of hey and drying meadow blossoms. For once I had dared to have tables and benches and chairs moved out on the terrace in front of the Golden Hall. Even the precious tome of Rohirric law. There was no cloud in the sky. And we were in the shade of the low roof of the Golden Hall, so the colours of the writing and the calligraphy were not exposed to direct sunlight.

It was a delicious summer day.

I stretched in my chair, groaning comfortably. The only thing that would make this day even more perfect would be a bottle of coke… or my husband at my disposal to have my wicked ways with him… or a bottle of coke… hmmm…

But Éomer was on a day's ride to the royal estates of Snowbourne County.

At least he had given up his initial refusal to make love to me while I was pregnant. Not that I had been up to much nightly mischief during the weeks of puking… but now… the mere thought of Éomer made my body tingle in the most unlikely places…

I had to suppress a giggle at the thought of Éomer's face when made the first advances to him after my pregnancy had been confirmed. Torn between fear, embarrassment and desire – I had collapsed with laughter, thus destroying the very mood I had worked up to. I felt a smile tugging at my lips, threatening to turn into a wicked grin, as I remembered just how I had in the end persuaded Éomer to overcome his apprehension and make love to me – until I did not feel like it anymore or Elaine forbade it.

I had asked the healer about that. I am not stupid. But Elaine had assured me that it was quite alright, as long as I did not develop any complications. She had only advised me that cleanliness came next to Godliness and raised one of her black eyebrows at me. My cheeks burning with embarrassment I had nodded my thanks to the healer wordlessly. Not that this was really an issue where Éomer was concerned… However I would not even try to imagine the state some of the soldiers were in that Elaine had to treat.

I shuddered a bit and allowed my gaze to drift over the familiar skyline of Edoras. Suddenly my heart went wide with the joy of that view. The homely thatched roofs, the strong, flowing lines of green and red decorating the beams… the white washed facades… the hint of wood smoke on the breeze… the sounds of singing and laughter drifting up to me from the city… the water in the channel sparkling… and beyond the walls of Edoras… a wide green country, free, peaceful, beautiful – and my home.

My husband's home.

Our baby's home.

Sudden tears of happiness pricked in my eyes.

Stupid baby hormones…

oooOooo

Elaine had brought out her herbs and what's not and was busy with mortar and pestle. Sorcha had taken up her embroidery again… and the Queen of Rohan… I… was still day dreaming. I heard them before I saw them. Six sets of hooves thundering up the road towards the terrace. Then he was already round the corner and as my eyes took in a dishevelled mane of golden and dun hair and glowing dark eyes, my stomach did a joyfully somersault. Éomer swung down from the back of his stallion with the easy strength of a trained warrior. My way of getting of a horse was still more the groan and slide-routine. Damn, but I loved to see the sheer strength of his body in his movements.

Then I frowned. It looked as if he was holding his stomach.

At once my heart was in my mouth, and icy fear trickling down my spine.

But he was smiling!

And then was there, kneeling in front of me, cheeks flushed from a fast ride, reaching for my hands…

But not to kiss them, as he usually did. Instead he drew my hands to his tunic. There was something strange about his tunic, a bulge where no bulge had any reason to be. Before I could frown or say anything at all, I felt a warm weight in my hands. The warm weight moved. I drew my hands away.

Is a queen allowed to squee?

Probably that is not an appropriate behaviour for a queen. Pregnancy cuts you a lot of slack as a queen. Does that include squeeing? Probably not. Oh, well. I guess I would have squeed either way.

In my cupped hands sat a tiny kitten. Tiger striped, with huge ears and glowing green eyes, a brown button nose and a stubby tail. The kitten looked at me and yawned, showing a pink tongue and white pointy teeth. Then it started purring.

"Oh," I whispered. "Oh, is that cute."

That was probably not the wittiest comment to make. But there are only very few intelligent things you can say when you are pregnant, and you love cats and your husband gives you a kitten. But Éomer grinned, a grin that reached from one ear to the other.

"I thought you might like a kitten, you were so sad when the other ones died," he put his hands around my hands, holding the purring kitten with me. "And I remember my mother was soothed by the purring of our wee cat when she was heavy and uncomfortable my sister."

As always, his smile faded a little when he mentioned his mother, but his eyes stayed bright with happiness. I nodded wordlessly, too unsure of my voice to reply aloud.

The kitten purred loudly as Éomer proceeded to scratch its chin. A perfect little tiger. I grinned down at the tiny cat. The palace cat had been killed by a straying dog, and her newborn kittens had not survived despite all our efforts. It would be so nice to have a kitten around.

Then Éomer rose to his feet and greeted the other members of the household that were present amiably. Shortly he was sitting with us, the tunic shed, the sleeves of his shirt rolled back, revealing his muscular forearms, a tankard of ale set in front of him. Obviously the visit to Snowbourne County had gone well.

Éomer drank deeply, and then dried his lips with the back of his hand. He looked supremely content. The kitten had settled down on my lap without further ado, purring blissfully. "How are you today, my learned lady," Éomer asked, his gaze resting on the heavy tome that was still on the table in front of me.

"Finished for the day," I said, with a smile and a sigh. I looked around for a servant or male member of the household with sufficient bodily strength to return the book to the library. Guards had that strength, of course. But guards may never be asked to fetch and carry. Their duty is only to guard you with their weapons and their life, should the need arise. To be able to do that, they need to have their hands free. There was Amhlaoibh, my young scribe, sitting discreetly in the background on the bench around the hall. He was lanky and not really strong. But there was no way that Ini could carry that monster of a book. And Amhlaoibh knew where to put it and how to handle it with care. "Amhlaoibh," I asked, calling for the scribe in what I hoped was a friendly and polite tone. "Would you be so kind and take that book back to the library? I don't think I will need it anymore today."

The young man was on his feet at once, bowing to me. "Of course, my lady," he replied. He could carry the book. But you could see that it was heavy for him, as he walked with bent shoulders towards the gates of the hall. Éomer's lips quivered with suppressed mirth. It was not that Éomer did not respect the learned men and… well, he had taken to calling me "his learned lady"… But his was more a world of sword and strategy, than lore and laws. We were beginning to complement us nicely.

Now Éomer turned his attention to Elaine who was still busy with her medicines. "How is my wife these days," he asked without further preliminaries. I rolled my eyes at him. He ignored me. Elaine looked up and smiled at me. I think that she was enjoying herself immensely, with Éomer and me being worried in turns and turning to her for advice like children to their mother.

"She is very well, my lord," Elaine answered. "The morning sickness is gone for good. There is no pain, no bleeding. My lady is strong and healthy. And happy, I think." She smiled at me. But there was a darkness in her grey eyes that seemed to say, "But I am not." Although she had settled in and found her place and position in the royal household by now, and there were no more real troubles, Elaine was the only one who was still not completely at home here. And not happy, not happy at all.

Éomer ignored the passing shadow on the healer's face. "Is my wife able to travel then? In a carriage maybe?"

Travel? If I was a dog, my ears would have perked now. I realized that I had completely forgotten about the weekly messenger from Minas Tirith that had been due to arrive today. Éomer must have intercepted him upon his return to the city. Could that possibly mean that we would go somewhere?

"Not in a carriage," I said without thinking. "That would insult my Mimi." And my buttocks. Carriage rides are not very comfortable on roads without pavement and in carriages without springs.

"But riding can't be good for a woman with child," Éomer objected, turning to Elaine for confirmation. X or Y can't be good for a woman with child… That was a sentence I knew by heart two months after Elaine had confirmed my pregnancy. Luckily Elaine tended to disagree with my husband. And luckily Éomer tended to believe the healer.

"But I want to ride," I retorted mutinously and turning to Elaine in the hope of getting my way once again. But then I hesitated and gave Éomer what I hoped was a brilliant smile. "Where are we going? Did you meet the messenger?"

Éomer grinned at me mischievously and reached for his tunic. From somewhere inside the leather he produced a small roll of parchment. "A missive from my sister. She is due to give birth at the beginning of Yavannië. She desires her sister-in-law to be with her. And you are not going to ride."

We would travel to Gondor! I felt my heart begin to pound with excitement. I would be with Éowyn when she gave birth! Automatically my hand flew down to my own stomach, trying to fathom the life that was growing within me. And I would get to see Arwen's little girls!

But I did not want to go to Gondor in a carriage. "I want to ride," I repeated and turned back to Elaine.

Elaine's face remained friendly and polite. Only in the shifting light of her eyes I thought I could see an internal groan. "Actually, my lord," Elaine began. Oh joy! I would be allowed to ride!

"Actually, my lord, a jolting carriage ride would probably be more exhausting to your wife in her present condition than a Meara's smooth walk. However, I do advise to travel very slowly and stop early," the healer went on. "Your wife is healthy and strong and the pregnancy is going well, but the heir to the throne of Rohan should not be put to any risks."

Éomer did sigh. He also raised his eyebrows at Elaine. But he nodded as he obviously compared a carriage ride to the smooth walk of a Meara in his mind. Then the king of Rohan gave a small snort and nodded to me. "Very well, Lothíriel. Have it your way. You are going to ride. But only very slowly. And not far. We will get to Minas Tirith even if we move slowly."

"So we are going to Minas Tirith?" I asked, holding my hand out for the letter that was still in Éomer's hands.

Éomer grinned at me. "Yes, we are, dear. Didn't I say so?"

oooOooo

A/N: I hope you don't mind this sweet little chapter of basically nothing too much. Somehow I could not get them going. I will make it up to you with the next two chapters.

And here's a big thank you to all of you lurkers, you many shy readers who have never dropped me a line. I know that you are there and that you are still reading this story. I appreciate your faithfulness immensely.

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Yours

JunoMagic