A/N and replies: This may be the longest of the chapters. Yes, I know it's moving slowly, but that allows time for more interaction before they "get there". Maybe that's why the story as a whole is so much longer.
Blue Eyes - grumble, grumble, grumble!
wondereye, utsuri - yes, they seem to be only friends at this point. I'm not sure I personally believe in "love at first sight", since looks can be deceiving and that is all you are going on at that stage. (Notwithstanding Aragorn/Arwen and Faramir/Eowyn!) I think you can be immediately attracted to someone, and then discover they are as wonderful as they appeared to be, and that finding that out can happen rather quickly, but I only know of one case of a "whirlwind romance" that actually happened and worked. My firm belief (if you couldn't already tell) is that the best relationships are formed on the basis of friendship first, and then that deepens into love. Indeed, many of the longest happiest marriages are between people who consider their spouse to be their best friend. They never necessarily intended to fall in love and get married, but love grew out of that friendship.
Jazzcat - "This Eomer is SLOW" - yeah! and he will continue to be for a bit. Don't worry; he'll figure it out!
Chapter 6
The next two weeks were a flurry of activity. Lothiriel had to hastily put the finishing touches on the garden and then leave it be. There were too many last minute tasks that required attention for her to indulge that pleasure. Still, she was not disappointed with the results of her labor. The garden was much more appealing than it had been upon her arrival.
She also had to forego taking care of Bugan. Even her riding lessons had temporarily ended, though Eothain assured her he would continue to work with her on the journey to Minas Tirith. She tried to spend at least a little time riding each day, even without the lessons, as she hoped to spend most of the trip on horseback, rather than in a carriage. Eomer, Eowyn and Eothain would all be riding and she did not want to be shut away from them the entire time, unable to do anything more than stare at the passing landscape. She had discovered the freedom riding horses afforded and, even once she returned to Dol Amroth, she intended to pursue it. Perhaps before she left Edoras for good, next spring, she would have Eothain help her buy a horse of her own.
Last minute sewing on Eowyn's wedding clothes was also a priority. Though they had sewed the garments for the actual wedding together, secretly Lothiriel had prepared a nightgown for the wedding night, embroidering it with running horses and simbelmyne. Since most of the packing was to take place two days before their departure, she presented it to Eowyn the night before. As she had hoped, her friend was overwhelmed with gratitude at the gesture, and they wept happy tears in one another's arms.
With a great deal of embarrassment, Eowyn confessed that she had no one to talk to about the wedding night, and she was more than a little fearful of going into it completely unprepared. Teasingly, Lothiriel told her, "Well, keep your sword handy and if Faramir is not utterly patient and gentle with you, you have my permission to run him through!" When they overcame their fit of giggles, she added more seriously, "I cannot imagine my cousin being anything other than a paragon of patience if he knows of your trepidation, and it is unlikely he will not sense it no matter how hard you try to hide it. Even so, Elphir's wife will be coming to the wedding and I am sure she will be happy to talk with you about it. Or I know some other ladies in Minas Tirith we might ask if that does not work for some reason. Do not worry. I will see that you are prepared in advance."
Eowyn rewarded her with another grateful hug. "You are as dear to me as a sister, Lothiriel. Thank you for all your help. Perhaps some day I can in part return the favor when you wed."
And so the company departed. The autumn thus far had enjoyed quite pleasant weather, and all hoped it would make for easy and uneventful travel.
True to his word, Eothain stayed close to Lothiriel, correcting hands, feet and legs, putting her through various gaits and transitions from one to another. Eomer watched with a critical eye, and was forced to admit that Eothain had done a good job with her. She seemed to be fairly natural at it, and sat a horse well.
Still, at the end of the day, he could tell the much longer session of riding was taking a toll on her. After the second day, Eomer pulled his sister aside and suggested, "Lothiriel will never give up her mount and ride in a carriage alone, but she is unused to this. Why do you not spend time in the carriage with her to give her some respite? She is going to be in agony if she continues this."
Eowyn gladly consented, and though Lothiriel balked, Eowyn was able to convince her of the wisdom of this course. With the wedding drawing ever nearer with each league they covered, sitting idly in a carriage was a bit more inactivity than Eowyn could tolerate, so she and Lothiriel focused their attention on the tunic Eowyn was working on for Faramir. Most of the embroidery work was done, but things had been so busy, Eowyn was concerned it would not be finished before the wedding as she hoped. Thus this carriage ride served a dual purpose that made it more agreeable to both the ladies.
Two days out from Minas Tirith, while the ladies were in the carriage, Eothain rode up alongside Eomer. His friend grinned acknowledgement of his presence and then they rode in companionable silence for a time. At length, Eothain ventured, "So, what of the Lady Lothiriel? Is she staying behind when we return home?"
Eomer had rather expected Lothiriel would have told him already of her plans to stay longer, but since she hadn't he did so. "She has agreed to stay through the winter, and help us in Eowyn's absence. It will give us more time to recover, and she has proven very helpful with her suggestions."
Eothain stared at him a few moments and then nodded. "Good. It will be more difficult once winter sets in, but until then I can continue her riding lessons."
Eomer had noticed the look his friend had given him, though he was unsure of the meaning behind it. Before he could ask, he was distracted by a messenger arriving, and the matter was forgotten.
xxxxx
Their arrival at Minas Tirith was met with great fanfare. Eothain and his company of Riders camped on the Pelennor, while the wedding party made their way into the city and up to the seventh level. They were greeted by Gondor's king and queen, along with the eager Steward who could not keep his eyes off his betrothed. Eowyn seemed to be suffering from the same ailment and most of the greetings they bestowed on various people seemed to be done rotely, with little real awareness of what they were saying or to whom they were saying it.
Lothiriel watched the pair with amusement, before turning to greet her family. It was very good to see them all again, and her father had allowed all three brothers to attend as it had been so long since they had seen Lothiriel. There was much hugging and kissing of cheeks, particularly by Amrothos, who declared his intent never to let her out of his sight again. She refrained from making her plans known just then. Time enough later to break the bad news to him.
When at last the greetings were taken care of, servants moved to guide the arriving guests to their quarters. Lothiriel had assumed she would be placed in the Steward's house, with the rest of her family, but instead Queen Arwen had designated a guest room next to Eowyn's among the Rohirrim rooms. "I thought you and Eowyn might like to be near one another, at least until after the wedding. Then if you wish to move to the Steward's house, we will arrange it."
Lothiriel nodded in understanding. "Thank you. I appreciate your consideration of Eowyn. I think she would wish me near lest her nerves overcome her!"
Arwen smiled at the girl, her dark eyes carefully studying Lothiriel. "You seem to fit in quite well with the Eorlingas," she observed.
Lothiriel laughed, a bit unnerved by the perusal, but agreed, "I have enjoyed my association with them. They are a warm and engaging people. And," she lowered her voice, "it seems I will be spending more time with them in the near future. Do not mention it to my family as yet, but I have agreed to stay longer in Edoras and assist with the rebuilding of their country."
She wasn't entirely sure what inspired her to confide such a thing to this Elf woman whom she barely knew, but Arwen did not seem surprised or affronted by the intimacy. Instead she just smiled and told her, "Excellent. I am sure your aid will be very much appreciated by the king and his people."
For the life of her, Lothiriel could not figure out why she had the distinct impression that she and Arwen were having two completely different conversations. Before she could give it much thought, however, Amrothos put in appearance, pouting that she was not staying with them. He flung himself onto her bed, where he sprawled contentedly and spent the next hour catching her up on all the news from home while Lothiriel and the maidservant unpacked her belongings.
Lothiriel took the rest of the afternoon, after the midday meal, to visit with her family members. Though all expressed an eagerness to have her back home with them, for some reason she still refrained from telling them of her plans. Somehow her first day here did not seem the appropriate time.
Elphir and his wife Alcathir had brought their son, Alphros, with them and Lothiriel enjoyed reacquainting herself with her nephew. As she and Alcathir sat on the floor playing a game with him, Lothiriel took the opportunity to make the request on Eowyn's behalf, and her sister-in-law was happy to speak with the girl.
The wedding party from Rohan had arrived a week in advance of the wedding, so that business could be discussed while Faramir was still available. Elessar wanted to assure him some time away to spend with his new wife, and so Eomer was scheduled to meet with Elessar and a few select others the next morning.
But for tonight, a feast was scheduled for the newcomers, along with the requisite dancing. Lothiriel retired to her room to rest a few hours beforehand, so she would feel up to the dancing. It had been some time since she'd had the chance, and she was looking forward to it.
Alcathir had thoughtfully brought her a few more of her clothes, thinking perhaps she would like to wear something different for a change than the same dresses she had been wearing the past three months. Since she had not planned to stay in Rohan when she attended Theoden's funeral, her wardrobe was limited for ease of travel. While in Edoras, she'd had a few new things made, simpler dresses that better suited the climate and circumstances there, along with a couple of riding outfits that protected her legs and gave her more freedom of movement than a dress would.
Going through the dresses Alcathir had brought, she found one in a seafoam green color, with a diaphanous overgown that floated on top of a darker green silk shift, and decided to wear that. It had always been one of her favorites, but was rather delicate so she had not risked taking it along on her travels. Green seemed an appropriate color since they were honoring Rohan.
The maidservant provided for her took great delight in working Lothiriel's dark tresses up into an intricate style, interwoven with flowers and pearls, and she completed her outfit with a pearl choker necklace that had belonged to her mother. She realized, as she checked her appearance in the looking glass, that though she enjoyed the simpler life in Edoras, she rather missed getting dressed up now and then like this. Most feasts in Rohan were not quite so formal and did not demand this degree of elegance.
She finally decided she was ready, and coincidentally a knock came at her door, signaling the arrival of Amrothos, who was to escort her to the feast. When she opened the door, he stood staring at her in silence. "Is something wrong, brother?" she asked, puzzled by his actions.
He shook his head and murmured, "No. I just had forgotten how lovely you are. Do not forget, you did promise to dance with me tonight. I have little doubt there will be many men vying for your attention once they catch a glimpse of you."
She blushed slightly. Amrothos rarely got so flattering, at least not with her. He was incredibly good at flattering and wooing all manner of ladies with his dark good looks and winning personality. He saved most of his teasing for his little sister.
Catching hold of his arm, she assured him, "I have not forgotten, nor will I. And I fully expect to dance with both Erchirion and Elphir, as well as Father. I have missed all of you very much!"
Chatting comfortably, they made their way to the dining hall, and a servant guided them to their seats. Faramir and Eowyn were already there, completely engrossed in one another. Slapping her cousin's arm, she loudly whispered, "The two of you could at least pretend as though you know other people exist!"
Eowyn and Faramir turned to grin at her guiltily, and Faramir leaned to kiss her cheek. "I confess, Lothiriel, I have missed having you around! But I am relieved to see that Rohan survived your visit!" Faramir told her.
Looking past him, Lothiriel instructed Eowyn, "Forget everything I told you about Gondorian protocol and do whatever you like! It will serve him right if you embarrass him in some way!"
The three laughed amiably together as they awaited the arrival of the remainder of the guests. Within a short time, virtually everyone was there, save the king of Rohan. "What could be keeping your brother?" Lothiriel asked her friend.
Eowyn sighed. "He does not really care for such formal affairs. No doubt he is dragging his feet about getting here and will attempt to leave early. Unless he foolishly gets drunk!"
Lothiriel and Faramir laughed, but Lothiriel assured her, "He would not dare. He meets with King Elessar in the morning, and surely he will want his wits about him."
Eowyn shook her head uncertainly. "One would think, but with Eomer you can never be certain he will not indulge himself and ignore the consequences until they are upon him!"
Even as they spoke, Eomer appeared in the doorway, flanked by two young noblewomen of Gondor. Faramir chuckled and commented, "Ah, so it begins. The handsome, available king of Rohan visits, and the ladies are more than ready to claim him as their own!"
At his words, Lothiriel studied the two women with Eomer. While she could not honestly say she knew what type of woman would interest the king, at first glance she suspected neither of these two would qualify. Their conversation of a month ago returned to her, and she remembered her promise to help him find a wife he could love. There was no indication that either of these ladies were interested in him so much as the crown on his head and his rugged good looks.
For some reason, her enthusiasm for the evening felt dampened. She supposed it was the thought of all the posturing and competing that would take place over the next week. Eomer, and possibly herself as well, would suffer all manner of approaches by those interested in gaining something socially or politically by aligning themselves with a noble house. This had all been much easier to take when she was too young for marriage, and the attention of men was just harmless flirtation.
Excusing himself from the two women, who were seated elsewhere, Eomer made his way to take his seat next to his sister. Normally, he would have been seated next to the king and queen of Gondor, but Elessar had assumed he would rather spend much of the remaining time before Eowyn's wedding with her.
As the meal was beginning, Lothiriel and Amrothos moved to their seats across the table from Eomer, Eowyn and Faramir. Once Amrothos had seated her, Lothiriel glanced up to find Eomer gazing at her fixedly. She smiled a bit hesitantly, uncertain what his perusal meant.
A moment later, he seemed to snap out of whatever reverie had taken him and he returned her smile, saying quietly, "You look lovely this evening, Thiri."
"Thank you," she acknowledged. "You clean up rather well yourself," she teased.
He chuckled and ducked his head a moment. When he looked up again, she commented, "And I see the ladies have already taken notice of you..."
A look of annoyance crossed his face. "Yes, they waylaid me in the entrance hall before I could come in. That is why I was late to arrive."
Keeping a straight face, she asked him, "I should continue looking then? You have not yet found what you are seeking?"
He grinned at her teasing. "No, not yet. Certainly neither of those two."
Just then Amrothos coughed, and when they glanced in his direction it was to find Eowyn, Faramir and Amrothos all listening to their conversation in puzzlement.
"Do not mind us," Amrothos scolded. "We will talk amongst ourselves until the two of you have finished with this secret discussion."
Lothiriel elbowed him. "Behave, brother. Our words relate to a conversation we had previously, which I will not go into now. Suffice it to say, it should be of little concern to you."
Amrothos shrugged and lost interest, though Eowyn and Faramir turned away more slowly, wondering what was going on. When Lothiriel dared glance at Eomer, he gave her a grateful wink and she suppressed a smile behind her napkin.
The food was brought in and conversation lagged during the eating, but the volume of sound resumed as the guests completed their meals. At last, the tables were moved out of the way for dancing while the musicians came in and set up. As the preparations were being made, the guests began to gather in small groups, enjoying a glass of wine or obtaining a tankard of ale that was now available to them.
While they waited, Lothiriel had the opportunity to introduce Eowyn to Alcathir, and make known the latter's willingness to speak with Eowyn privately. The two had the chance to become acquainted as they stood there, making Eowyn less uncomfortable with the idea of discussing such a subject with a stranger.
The musicians were finally in place and began the first number, and slowly partners began trickling onto the floor. Lothiriel looked expectantly at Amrothos, but he raised his hands. "Not me. Father has made it clear he expects to have the first dance with you! I will wait my turn."
Imrahil arrived beside his youngest son and smiled. "Parental prerogative," he told them, having overheard Amrothos' remarks. Offering Lothiriel his hand, they moved onto the floor and slipped in among the other dancers.
After a few moments quiet examination of her, he smiled. "It would seem Rohan suited you, dearest. You appear to be in far better spirits than when I left you in August."
She grinned in response "And I am sure you will take all the credit for my recovery. I told you I would be well again, but you did not give it enough time. However, I will admit that I have enjoyed my visit to Edoras, and the time I spent with Eowyn. I even learned to ride a horse."
"Yes. I was rather amazed to see you arrive astride a horse rather than in a carriage…or riding side-saddle." The last was said disapprovingly.
Eyeing him innocently, she answered, "It is your own fault. If you had made sure I learned to ride in Dol Amroth, it would have been in a side-saddle. Since you left me to acquire the skill on my own, and I sought the best teachers, I was schooled in a different fashion. Though, in truth, I have heard few ladies say they enjoy riding who ride in that style. Many women in Rohan, who ride astride, find it a pleasant activity. Besides, it is too late to change me now. You are stuck with me riding astride. And it is your own fault!"
"Yes, so you said earlier. Very well, I will take the blame for forcing you to remain there. I should have known you would find some way to get even with me for it!"
She gave him a secretive smile in response, which made him somewhat nervous about what else she might have up her sleeve to punish him with in retaliation. It would be nothing mean-spirited, of course, but Lothiriel had always seemed to find a way to make known her displeasure with being forced into anything. Still, the peace was back in her eyes, and her smile was genuine. That was worth any minor pokes she might take at him.
When the dance ended, he kissed her cheek, and told her, "Go and enjoy yourself. And do not torment these poor men by dancing only with your brothers and cousin!"
She laughed at his teasing and accepted the goblet of wine Amrothos offered her. Once she had caught her breath and quenched her thirst, the two swung into the next dance that began.
In succession, behind Amrothos, came her other two brothers and then a steady stream of eager men, both young and old. Apparently dancing with the daughter of a prince was a treat at any age, and she felt she had to be agreeable rather than slight anyone in particular, though several she had regretted accepting.
The worst of the lot was a portly nobleman who informed her straight away that he was a widower. He was clearly inebriated and kept pulling her closer than was appropriate, holding her in a way that made her uncomfortable. She was just trying to decide how rude it would be for her to yank free and leave him on the dance floor, when a shadow fell across them.
They both looked up to find Eomer standing with a hand on the man's shoulder. "May I cut in?" There was a steely look in his eyes that indicated he would not take 'no' for an answer, and Lothiriel's partner apparently recognized Rohan's king. Anxious not to rebuff a king, no matter how appealing the lady, the man released her to the newcomer.
"Of course, my lord," he simpered, stumbling away to get another drink.
Lothiriel shut her eyes with relief as Eomer pulled her beside him and swept her along. After a moment, she looked up at him and smiled gratefully. "Thank you. I was about to do something very rude in order to escape him."
He leaned close to her ear and whispered, "I know. I was watching from the side and saw he was being overly friendly with you. And that you did not appreciate it. I purposely came to rescue you, though the young lady trying to impress me was rather displeased with my departure."
For an instant, she ducked her head and laughed, then looked up to meet his eyes. "We are quite the pair, are we not?"
Without her noticing, he had been working them toward the doors that exited off to the gardens. When they reached them, he caught her hand and pulled her after him outside. Once there, they walked to a low wall and he released her hand to stretch and rub his neck. "I hope you do not mind. I thought we both could do with some fresh air."
"Not at all. I am glad you thought of it." She watched as he leaned on the wall, his shoulders slumped.
Reaching to rub his back, she asked gently, "What troubles you?"
He sighed, but turned to face her. "I am delighted that Eowyn has found happiness, but tonight…tonight I was reminded what I do not have, and what I must find…and how unlikely I am to find it in there." He gestured toward the hall with his chin.
Lothiriel looked down at her feet, then told him, "I am sorry. I have been enjoying the dancing, for the most part," she admitted. "I did not notice your predicament. I should have come to your rescue!"
He chuckled at that. "Well, it might have helped me, but you would have done yourself no favors. If looks could kill, you would no doubt have many daggers in your back when I let you steal me away from them."
"There is only one thing to be done then," she announced.
He eyed her curiously, waiting for her to continue.
"I wish to dance. You wish to avoid the ladies snapping at your heels. Therefore, you will have to dance with me all night in order to keep them at bay! Though you will have to risk their attack when I insist on dancing with my brothers! But you are a soldier of some repute. Surely you can manage on your own for those brief periods…"
Now he laughed heartily. "A fair bargain, I think. But if I monopolize your dancing, whatever will all the men do who wish to slobber on Imrahil's daughter?"
She made a face at him. "For some reason, I find it hard to care what they do so long as they stay away from me!"
She paused, then looked at him more solemnly. "There is one danger though, my friend."
His right eyebrow quirked upward, and she added, "If we spend much time in one another's company, there is likely to be speculation of an alliance between Dol Amroth and Rohan – both among rumormongers and matchmakers."
Eomer's jaw twitched, but he only commented, "There are worse fates I could suffer. It would not matter to me what anyone said, but I would not do anything to harm your reputation in any way. What is your opinion on it?"
She thought a moment, then said, "I do not mind. And I do not think my reputation will suffer that others think I am admired by the king of Rohan!"
"Well, that part they would have gotten right. I do admire you, but then I should not be surprised by that. Your father is a remarkable man. I would expect nothing less from his daughter."
"Lothiriel?" a voice called from the doorway behind her.
They both turned at the sound; it was Erchirion. "I am here, brother," she answered.
He moved toward them, scowling slightly until he saw who she was with. "Oh, Eomer. I did not recognize you in the darkness."
"Come to protect your little sister from evil men, no doubt," Eomer jested. "Fear not, I have already rescued her from same, and we were merely talking a bit before returning to the fray."
"Rescued her? From whom?" Erchirion asked, his temper rising.
"Calm down, brother. An inebriated nobleman. He did no real harm and Eomer spared me suffering his company any longer. All is well."
Erchirion relaxed a bit. "Actually, Elphir is looking for you. He and Alcathir want to call it a night and wanted to bid you good evening before they left."
Lothiriel took his arm. "Very well. Lead me to them." Looking back at Eomer, she added, "Will you join us?"
Pushing himself away from the wall, he nodded. "I suppose so. What is the point of moonlight without a pretty lady to keep you company?"
"Charmer! No wonder you have to beat the ladies off with a stick! And you told me you did not know how to be flowery and romantic!"
Erchirion was giving them a puzzled look at their banter, but they did not notice, continuing back into the hall. Elphir and Alcathir were soon located and farewells said. Since he was near, Lothiriel claimed Erchirion for the next dance while Eomer went in search of some wine for her and ale for himself.
The plan Eomer and Lothiriel had hatched worked well the remainder of the evening. Staying near one another dissuaded others from approaching and the rest of the night was pleasant enough. Eomer departed early himself, since he was to meet with Elessar in the morning, and Lothiriel did so as well less than an hour later.