A/N: I simply HAVE to dedicate this chapter to Blue Eyes at Night...and she's a real dunce if she can't figure out why!
You know what they say: Absence makes the heart grow fonder...
Replies to reviewers at end.
Chapter 10
Eomer stood gazing out the window of his study, lost in thought. When Eothain arrived at the door, which was standing open, he poked his head in and then moved to join his king. They stood side by side in silence, until Eothain ventured, "I rather miss Thiri, also."
Eomer blinked in surprise at this unexpected comment. "Also?"
"I assume you miss her. The two of you seemed to get along well when she was here." Lothiriel had been gone a little over a week now, and Eothain knew that Eomer had been restless and discontented ever since her departure, though he would not admit to a cause.
"Of course I miss her. Eowyn too. It is very quiet with neither of them around, and they were both of tremendous help to me in rebuilding Rohan. I will miss having someone to discuss solutions with – someone more rational and helpful than my advisers, that is."
Eothain grinned at the complaint, then suggested, "Of course, you could go visit your sister. You have not seen her new home in Ithilien. And since it is so close to Dol Amroth, it would afford you the opportunity to take Imrahil and Lothiriel up on their offers to have you visit them." He carefully kept his voice neutral, knowing Eomer would balk if he suspected an ulterior motive behind the suggestion.
It worked. Eomer rubbed his chin thoughtfully and nodded, "That is true. I have wished to see Eowyn's home, and I have been remiss in not visiting Imrahil before this, despite numerous invitations. Oh, and I have not told you yet, but Eowyn is with child. It would be nice to go and share in her joy."
Eothain restrained a grin as he listened to the king talking himself into this journey, but if that was what it took to get him back together with Lothiriel, then so be it. Eomer might fool himself about his feelings for the girl, but Eothain knew better. He had watched his friends for many months now, and there was no doubt in his mind that they were perfect for one another. Now all that remained was for them to acknowledge it and do something about it.
"I will speak to Gamling and see when we might work such travel into our schedule. In all, it would take at least a month," Eomer observed.
Eothain nodded agreeably, and then pulled the king's attention back to the reason for his presence. Business now, pleasure later, he thought with amusement.
By the next day, tentative dates had been chosen and messengers sent to Eowyn and Imrahil to inquire if a visit at those times would work into their plans. It did not take long for either to respond back to him that they would be delighted to see him.
Within a fortnight, Eomer was on the road. The first stop was to be Ithilien and Eowyn's home in Emyn Arnen. Faramir had come to love Ithilien while serving there as a Ranger, and now that he and Eowyn had been made Prince and Princess over it, they had chosen to build their primary residence there. They knew they would have to spend considerable time at Minas Tirith, in keeping with Faramir's position as Steward of Gondor, but both preferred raising their children away from the city. Their home was begun before they were wed and the finishing touches had only recently been put on it.
Although he knew his sister was expecting a child, it was still something of a jolt to Eomer to see her rounded belly. Somehow he had never envisioned his sister as a mother. Not that he didn't think she would be a good mother, but it just had not seemed part of her nature. Her love for Faramir, and the peace she found in him, had changed many things.
Despite her extra bulk, Eowyn greeted him warmly, thoroughly delighted to be reunited with her brother. Eagerly she began showing him the house, dragging him from room to room before he had even had a chance to settle into a guest room. He could not deny that the home was wonderful and its location amazing. The view from their front door was magnificent, and there was a large garden in the rear of the home. There was no scrimping on the stables either, and Eomer found them to his satisfaction, though sadly lacking in Rohirric horses. It seemed he would need to remedy that.
One of the best parts about this visit was that it got him away from advisers and council meetings, and out from behind a desk. He was heartily sick of paperwork and meetings, planning and organizing. It was good to ride again, out in the fresh air, and to focus on enjoying life rather than the worries of a kingdom. He knew the troubles at home were not gone, and he could not entirely ignore them, but he also knew that, for the moment, they were well in hand and there was nothing he needed to do.
He had planned to spend a fortnight with Eowyn and then travel on to Dol Amroth, but things took a sudden turn when a messenger arrived from Minas Tirith. Trouble had arisen along Ithilien's border with Mordor, and Aragorn had sent for Faramir and Eomer.
The trip to the White City was made quickly and Aragorn had soon outlined the difficulty and his planned course of action. Eomer had only brought a small escort party with him to visit his sister, so a messenger was sent to Edoras for Eothain to bring his eored at once. When these reinforcements had arrived, Aragorn led the army south to drive back this new threat to peace in Gondor.
In the end, it took more than two weeks to secure the area again, and by then Eomer felt obligated to spend his remaining time visiting with Eowyn. Reluctantly, he sent word to Dol Amroth of the change in plans and promised to visit another time.
The ride back to Rohan began on a dreary, grey, rainy day and Eomer's mood matched the weather. While it had felt good to be doing something physical again, he resented the evil that still persisted in Middle-earth and required men to go to battle. But more than that, he resented that it had kept him from his planned visit to Dol Amroth. He had been looking forward to that visit more than he wanted to admit, and he was greatly disgruntled to be returning home without that pleasure.
Riding alongside him, Eothain was feeling equally frustrated. He had hoped this visit to Belfalas would make Eomer recognize his feelings for Lothiriel, and act upon them. The last few months before she returned home, Eothain had gotten the impression that perhaps Lothiriel had already come to understand she was attracted to the young king, though she hid her feelings well. But every now and then, he had caught a sidelong glance at Eomer, and Eothain felt certain that the look in her eyes was resignation.
Well, there was nothing to be done about it but find another way to bring them together. He would write to Lothiriel, suggesting something that might spark a reunion, and continue to work on Eomer in the interim. With Gamling's assistance, they would make very certain Rohan's king was unable to get the Lady Lothiriel out of his thoughts!
Less than a week after they had returned home, Eothain received a letter from the lady in question, expressing disappointment at missing Eomer's visit, and that Eothain had come so close to her home as well without stopping by. When she began telling of her efforts to continue to ride almost every day, and how she should probably buy her own horse, he seized the opportunity to write back and suggest that the best place to acquire a horse was in Rohan.
When he mentioned their correspondence to Eomer, the king readily acknowledged that he wanted to send some horses to Eowyn for her stables. Thus a plan was hatched that perhaps Imrahil would bring his daughter for a visit to buy a horse, and see several horses delivered to Eowyn on the return trip.
Once again, after Imrahil agreed to this plan, Eomer was in a much better humor at the prospect of seeing the lady. But once more fate was against them, and the planned excursion fell victim to problems Imrahil was facing at home.
Gamling finally came up with a solution – Eowyn was due to deliver in early October. Without the king's asking, he cleared another month on the monarch's schedule and suggested he visit Dol Amroth on his way to Emyn Arnen for the birth. With the Dimholt now passable, the journey could be made quickly, and if the baby came early he would be near enough to reach his sister in only a few days.
And so plans were set in place yet again, and agreed upon by Imrahil and Eowyn. Thus it was that Eomer found himself on the road back to Gondor in mid-September.
In the time since Lothiriel had left Edoras, Eomer had written a few letters to her. He was not much for letter writing, and he felt awkward trying to put words on paper, but he wanted to keep in contact with her and didn't think he could expect her to write to him if he did not answer.
But somehow the letters did not quite satisfy. He preferred talking to Lothiriel, looking her in the eye, sitting beside her, being with her. Letters felt cold and impersonal, no matter what was written in them, and he was eager to see her again. She had expressed a great enthusiasm for showing him her home, in her earlier letters, though she had not mentioned it so much of late. In fact, it seemed the tone of her letters had changed recently, though he could not quite put his finger on what was different about them. She appeared to be...less eager...about everything, and he wondered why.
Well, he would see her soon and possibly then would find some answers. By the time they had passed through the mountain and reached the Stone of Erech, Eomer's anticipation was growing unbearable. They made their way along the road leading to Pelargir, but swung south along a trail that followed the River Ringlo to the sea.
They camped on a cliff overlooking the Bay of Belfalas the night before reaching Dol Amroth, and Eomer got a good look at the sea that was so beloved of Lothiriel. She had spoken of it many times, and he could see the wild beauty she had described.
He supposed that his excitement about seeing Lothiriel again was what led to his dreaming of her that night, and he was annoyed when he was awakened at dawn just when the dream had been getting good. With the light of day, he couldn't quite remember the details of the dream, only that it was pleasant and he had not wanted it to end.
The riders had soon broken camp and set out on the final leg of their journey. They had glimpses of the sea off and on throughout the day, depending on how far out of the trees the trail led them. Shortly after their midday meal, Dol Amroth came into sight on the horizon. Like Minas Tirith, it was largely built from white stone and it glimmered in the autumn sunlight.
Within a few hours, they were riding up the road leading to the royal palace. Imrahil and his eldest son, Elphir, came out to greet them and see them settled into quarters for their stay. Once Eomer had washed and removed his armor, he joined Imrahil in his study.
"Eomer," Imrahil beamed, "it is good to see you again! You look well. Things are becoming more manageable in Rohan, I take it?"
"They are, but slowly. We still face many problems, but your daughter left quite a legacy behind her. With her help we have made great progress, and I hope we will pass this winter much easier than the last." Eomer paused, then asked the question foremost in his mind. "Where is she, by the way? I rather expected she would be there to greet us."
Imrahil shrugged apologetically. "I am sure she wished to be, but she had a visitor come to call shortly before you arrived and that pulled her away. But you will see her at supper, no doubt. She has been looking forward to your visit, though she tells me she is quite upset with you for not bringing her friend Eothain along on this trip."
Eomer let out a laugh. "Yes, Eothain is disgruntled about that also! They became great friends while she was with us."
Changing subjects, Imrahil asked, "So, now that you have seen the sea, what do you think of it?"
"I have really only seen glimpses of it, but it is indeed impressive. I can understand Lothiriel's fondness for it."
Rising, Imrahil led the way out onto the balcony off his study, and he and Eomer stood gazing over the city below. This location afforded an excellent view of the harbor also, and the sea wall that ran along the border of the city and past them some distance.
As Eomer surveyed the landscape, he caught a glimpse of a man and woman standing along the seawall, not too far from the palace. After a moment, he said, "Is not that Lothiriel?"
Imrahil turned in the direction he indicated and nodded. "Yes."
"Who is that with her? One of your sons?" Eomer inquired curiously, not really thinking the man's build matched Imrahil's sons. It must be the visitor Imrahil has mentioned.
"No, that is Lord Dorlion of Edhellond. He is in the city on business, though considering the amount of time he has been spending with Lothiriel, I rather suspect she is part of the business that brings him here! I would not be very surprised if he made an offer for her hand within the week. And, unlike the other suitors she has had, I think she might accept him."
Imrahil fell into a pensive silence, and Eomer was unprepared for the piercing pain that stabbed at his heart at this news. He should be happy for Lothiriel, that she had found someone she could love – he was happy for her...wasn't he? So why could he not bear the thought of her accepting this man? Was he so selfish that he wished her to remain alone so she would be free to visit Rohan and assist him whenever he needed it? He had intended to invite her to make another visit, while he was here counseling with her father, but if she accepted Lord Dorlion's offer, it was unlikely she would wish to make the journey north.
Eomer shoved aside his disturbing thoughts. He would not begrudge her happiness, no matter what. But still something nagged at him, urging him to interfere and drive them apart. This is ridiculous! I do not even know the man! he told himself, but he was little appeased by the argument.
Below them, the couple had looked up and spotted them. Apparently Lothiriel recognized them, for she waved and immediately headed to join them, with Lord Dorlion accompanying her.
Imrahil had noticed and grinned. "Come, you can greet Lothiriel and meet Lord Dorlion. He is a fine man. I am sure you will like him."
Eomer doubted very much that he would ever like Dorlion, but he gave a forced smile and followed his host indoors. By the time they reached the entry hall, Lothiriel and Dorlion were just entering. For a fleeting moment, Eomer almost got the impression that Lothiriel was going to fling herself in his arms and hug him. But almost as quickly, she seemed to recover herself and merely extended her hand to him. "Eomer King, it is so very good to see you again!"
As Eomer moved to kiss her hand, he felt a twinge of disappointment. A hug would have been very nice indeed, but surely he had imagined her intent. She had never hugged him before. It was unlikely she would suddenly start doing so now.
Lord Dorlion was introduced, and Eomer could not deny that he was a man of culture and refinement. From what Imrahil said, he was also brave, and had fought defending the shoreline and harbor cities during the War of the Ring. And, what was worse, the man was even rather handsome. In short, there was nothing Eomer could find fault with, and still he despised him. He tried mightily to disguise his feelings, but the way Dorlion's eyes narrowed suggested he sensed some hostility in Rohan's king.
As Dorlion would be joining them for supper that night, he excused himself and went to see to various matters of business before mealtime. When he was gone, Lothiriel looked at Eomer and her father, somewhat eagerly it seemed, and asked, "Are the two of you involved in something, or is there time for me to catch up on all the news of Edoras with Eomer?"
"By all means, go and hear your gossip!" her father urged. "I have some dispatches I wanted to finish before supper, and I shall not feel guilty abandoning Eomer if you are seeing to his needs."
He strode away and the two stood awkwardly together, until Lothiriel suggested, "Let us go in the library where it is quiet." She gestured off to their left and they moved in that direction.
Once there, she stepped over to a small refreshment counter and offered, "Would you like some wine?"
Finally finding his voice, Eomer told her, "Yes, please." He could not imagine why he was so tongue-tied with her all of a sudden. They had always been easy friends.
Almost as if she sensed his uncertainty, she started the conversation as she took a seat on a low sofa. "So, tell me what has been happening in Edoras since last I was there? I want to hear everything!"
Hesitantly, he sat beside her, slowly turning the goblet of wine she had given him, and tried to think what to tell her. Eventually he began a recitation of the state of the nation that almost sounded like a report from one of his advisers, and she broke into laughter, causing him to blush. "Eomer! Do not tell me all those boring details of little consequence; tell me of the people! How are Eothain and Gamling, and...everyone?"
With a little more warmth and animation, he told how each of the people she had known was faring, and she related what had been happening in Dol Amroth and Minas Tirith that might interest him. Too soon, the time had passed and a servant came to inform them supper would be served in half an hour. Both rose to go and prepare, and Eomer got the distinct impression that each of them wanted to say more but held back. Then she led the way out of the library, and whatever moment he had sensed was gone.
Normally, Eomer took little notice of his appearance but, for some reason, tonight he wanted to look his best. He took extra care combing and tying back his hair, and dressing in one of his finest tunics. Eowyn claimed this particular one brought out the green of his hazel eyes, and he always got many compliments from the ladies when he wore it. Almost as an afterthought, he trimmed his beard, which had become unkempt of late.
Before he stepped out the door of his chamber, he paused with his hand on the latch and let out a heavy sigh. He was among friends here, and yet he felt unsure of himself. Why did he feel the need to impress anyone? This would only be a small gathering and he should have been pleasantly relaxed in this setting, but he was not. With a jolt, he realized it almost felt like it used to when he was about to go into battle. Yet, there was no danger to be faced here. He shook his head roughly and moved firmly out the door. This was nonsense and he would not give into it.
When Eomer reached the dining hall, most everyone else was already gathered, with the exception of Amrothos who had trailed in right behind him. Dorlion stood near Lothiriel and as Imrahil indicated they should be seated, Dorlion was immediately helping with her chair. Eomer had never seen Lothiriel blush to any appreciable extent, but a faint color touched her cheeks and she almost appeared embarrassed by Dorlion's attentiveness.
Erchirion had caught Eomer's arm and pulled him around the table to be seated there, so Eomer ended up across from Lothiriel rather than next to her, and a couple of places down from her. Dorlion settled himself at her side, and Eomer forced himself to unclench his jaw and keep smiling.
Eomer was not aware of most of what transpired during the meal. He was extremely conscious of Dorlion's steady conversation with Lothiriel, often leaning closer to her as they chatted. He was too far away to hear much of what they said, particularly since Erchirion kept plying him with questions and expounding on various matters that did not hold Eomer's interest.
When supper finally concluded, and all sat around talking over a last goblet of wine, Lord Dorlion rose and invited, "Lothiriel, would you honor me with a turn in the garden? It is a fine evening."
Lothiriel glanced quickly around the table, seeming hesitant, but her father urged, "Go ahead, dearest. We do not mind." With no excuse to refuse, she rose and took Dorlion's arm and they were soon gone from the room.
For the next half hour, Eomer tried valiantly to carry on an intelligent conversation with his Dol Amroth friends, but his attention kept wandering to the absent member of their family. He wanted nothing more than to follow Lothiriel and interrupt whatever Dorlion had planned on this 'walk' of his, but there was no escape that presented itself. At length, Imrahil noticed his flagging attention and commented, "I believe we have kept you up long enough, Eomer. You must surely be weary from your travel."
Seizing the excuse, Eomer stood. "I do apologize. I am sure a night's rest will be just what I need." Goodnights were said and Eomer hastily retreated, sorry that he had no reason to go through the garden to get to his chambers.
Replies to reviewers:
plzkthx101 (if you are still reading) - "Aragorn was told by prophecy to be the king who would have the hands of great healing, but now you have elevated Lothiriel to such a level." - I'm sorry you were disappointed. Lothiriel's efforts on Eothain's behalf were only intended to show her great concern for her friend, and Eomer's appreciation of that. It was not my understanding that Aragorn alone could use athelas as a healing plant. According to the Encyclopedia of Arda website, which is pretty dead-on to what is in Tolkien's books, the plant had healing properties in and of itself, but that Aragorn, as a descendant of the royal line of Numenor had special ability to wield it. I think it is doubtful it would have been successfully used to overcome the Black Breath by just anyone; that required Aragorn's special ability. Therefore, I did not perceive Lothiriel's learning about the plant and its uses all that unusual. Ency. of Arda indicated that knowledge of the use of athelas had almost disappeared by the end of the Third Age, though presumably Aragorn's use of it brought it back to the attention of healers. (Athelas, An Elvish name for Kingsfoil - The plant also known as Kingsfoil or Asëa Aranion. Its leaves had healing properties, but by the end of the Third Age knowledge of its use was all but lost in Middle-earth.; Kingsfoil, The royal healing-leaf - A plant also called Athelas or Asëa Aranion. Its sweet-smelling leaves possessed healing virtues, especially in the hands of descendant of the royal line of Númenor.) (The Thain's Book website has more detailed information, though it suggests the medicinal property was as a pain killer, so the "draw the poison" aspect I used for it may only be movie-verse.)
Tracey - Sorry you are going to be away. Hopefully you got the sneak preview I sent you. Otherwise, you'll end up with ch 10 and 11 back to back, which is sort of a good thing, from a reader's perspective.