Replies below. Work has me in a foul mood, which means I'm rebelling so you get this posted a bit early!

Chapter 13

Eomer and Lothiriel enjoyed the next few days they spent together in Dol Amroth. Whatever else he might feel about the sea, Eomer learned quickly to appreciate long strolls along the beach, holding hands with Lothiriel, and taking frequent breaks for kissing.

He did not care quite so much for the two boat rides that Amrothos and Erchirion persuaded him to join them on. He had heard tell of people becoming ill on the water, and while that did not befall him, he was not entirely comfortable sitting unsteadily in such a flimsy craft and surrounded by nothing but water. Even Lothiriel's presence did not soothe him entirely and he was very relieved to return to shore. He only agreed to the second such outing because he knew Lothiriel enjoyed being with her brothers and sailing, and once they were in Edoras and married, he knew she would have little chance of it ever again.

Interspersed with their strolls and the boat rides, Lothiriel was hastily making ready to move her possessions to Rohan. Though he wasn't much help with packing, Eomer sprawled in a chair and they talked while she and a maidservant sorted everything and got it tucked into baggage. Because of the pending stop in Emyn Arnen to see Eowyn, Lothiriel's things were being sent by boat up the Anduin to wait for her in Minas Tirith rather than their having to bother packing them the extra distance.

After the announcement of their betrothal, the couple had encountered Lord Dorlion at a celebratory dinner gathering. Eomer found it much easier to approve of the man now that he was not a threat, and Lord Dorlion was gracious at the turn of events. Before the night ended, an agreement was reached for Lord Dorlion to head negotiations with Rohan on behalf of trade with Dol Amroth.

A few days later, the party set out. Amrothos accompanied the Rohirric group and his sister, serving as her chaperone, and the rest of the family would journey to Minas Tirith with her belongings for the trek to Edoras. Despite Lothiriel's suggestion of the wedding taking place a month after their betrothal was announced in Dol Amroth, Imrahil had pressed them to add another fortnight to the waiting period. With the planned visit, hoping to welcome Faramir and Eowyn's child into the world, he did not think it wise to anticipate keeping too tight a schedule. After four children, he knew all too well that they were born when they were ready, and not a moment sooner. Knowing Eowyn certainly would not be able to attend the wedding, Eomer and Lothiriel had conceded the point without argument, grateful to be able to spend more time with her so they could share in each other's joy.

Because they would be seeing her, Eomer had not sent a wedding announcement to Eowyn and Faramir. He was expecting to surprise his sister, but when the couple met them on the front lawn of their home, Eowyn took one look at them and started laughing.

Eomer gave her a puzzled look, but she just reached out to hug Lothiriel and asked her, "He finally woke up, did he?"

At first uncertain what the question meant, Lothiriel did not respond and Eowyn impatiently exclaimed, "Oh, do not play games with me! Do you think I cannot tell you two are in love! When is the wedding?"

Lothiriel began giggling, while Eomer eyed his sister suspiciously. "How could you possibly know that?"

In amusement, his sister explained, "Eomer, I know that look in your eyes. When you look at Lothiriel, it is the same way Faramir looks at me. If you have not asked her to marry you, I will beat you about your ears!"

Eomer flushed red, but grinned sheepishly as he slipped his arms around Lothiriel from behind. "Give me some credit, sister! Do you think I would waste any time making her mine once I knew my feelings? And by some miracle which I cannot fathom, she has agreed to have me." He buried his face in his betrothed's hair, nuzzling at her neck contentedly.

With a chuckle, Faramir interrupted their banter and suggested, "Perhaps we can continue this inside." He indicated the nearby stable. "Your men can get the animals settled in there and I will send someone to get them quartered."

Before they moved toward the house, however, Eowyn's eyes fell on the horse Lothiriel had been riding. She squinted at it a moment, then asked, "Is that Anlicferth?"

Eomer nodded. "It is. Eothain was kind enough to gift her to Lothiriel for me."

Eowyn's eyebrow rose questioningly. "Eothain? Where is he and what does he have to do with this?"

Lothiriel made a face at Eomer and told the woman, "The King of Rohan 'suggested' his Marshal should return home since he was not supposed to be in Dol Amroth in the first place. I barely had time to visit with him!"

As they strolled up the steps and into the house, Eomer launched into a defense of his actions, as well as a more complete explanation of what had been taking place the past week or so. They had arrived mid-afternoon, and spent the time until supper talking and then continued afterwards, sipping wine by the fire until quite late.

The next day, everyone slept later than usual, with the exception of Faramir, who still had duties he needed to perform. Though he did not say so in so many words, Eowyn and Lothiriel were amused that Eomer seemed to think the baby would arrive promptly after he had put in appearance. Despite the warnings expressed by Imrahil, he still did not seem to grasp the uncontrollable nature of giving birth. In exasperation, Lothiriel finally asked, "Eomer, surely you know mares do not give birth on a schedule! Why would you think women do?"

Put that way, Eomer began to understand better and blushed in embarrassment. Still, not being an overly patient man, he found the waiting difficult. They were there nearly a week and Eowyn had given no indication she intended to give birth any time soon. Privately, Eowyn confided to Lothiriel that he simply did not like situations he could not control, and warned her to remember his behavior now when she began bearing his children.

The extra time given them was a blessing to Lothiriel, though. It gave her and Eowyn time to talk, and Eowyn repaid her earlier help by discussing the wedding night with her. Still, the blond woman admitted, she had never expected to be discussing such matters with someone who would be experiencing them with her brother.

Eomer grew increasingly restless as they waited, and a week after their arrival he awoke before dawn and decided to go for a ride to watch the sun come up. He slipped quietly from the house and moved to the stable, only using a bridle on Firefoot. He grinned after he rode past the guards into the woods. His own men would have stopped him, insisting he take an escort, but the Gondorian guards were reluctant to confront Rohan's king and give him orders. He probably shouldn't have used that fact to his advantage as he had, but he could not resist the chance to just ride unaccompanied, alone with his horse and his thoughts.

Fog hung in the early morning air and, after a while, he tied Firefoot to a tree and climbed a treeless outcropping of rock to sit and look out over the valley below as the sun rose slowly in the sky. He couldn't identify any particular musings or thoughts while he sat there, but he knew a general sense of well being. He realized that, possibly for the first time in his life, he was truly and completely happy. Rohan was beginning to recover, his sister was married and happy, and less than a month from now he would have his beloved Lothiriel as his wife.

Once his thoughts drifted in the direction of his betrothed, they would not be guided elsewhere, and soon he greatly desired to return to the house to be with her. He rose and took one last look over the valley turned pink with the sun's first rays, then headed back down to Firefoot.

He had reached the bottom of the outcropping, and was starting across the clearing toward his horse, when he noticed a softness to the ground underfoot. He was not certain what he was feeling, but it did not take long for his question to be answered as the ground abruptly gave way under his feet. The first plunge threw him on his back, and before he could turn and scramble to safety, he was being swallowed along with the ground around him. Several terrifying minutes later, all was still.

For a time, Eomer just lay there, staring up at what sky he could see above him. The last drop had knocked the wind out of him, and in trying to steady himself as he fell, his foot had gotten painfully wrenched. As his breath returned, he tentatively moved his left leg, but stopped as soon as a sharp pain shot through his ankle. Careful not to move it, he slowly sat up and reached down to examine it. He did not think it was broken, but it certainly had to be badly sprained. Looking up at the walls of dirt around him, he knew he could never hope to climb out of this earthen pit with a bad ankle, and he laid back down dejectedly. There was nothing to do but wait. Sooner or later they would notice he was missing and come seeking him. When they did, they would find Firefoot and then him. Firefoot! He very much hoped this sinkhole had not claimed his horse as well. He had been quite some distance from him when it happened, so there was a chance it did not reach that far.

xxxxx

Lothiriel had been up for nearly an hour, when she became aware of Eomer's absence. Since he was generally up earlier than anyone else, she was surprised when he wasn't at the morning meal. Neither Eowyn nor Faramir had seen him, so for a while Lothiriel assumed he was still sleeping, but now she was beginning to worry that he might be ill. She went to his room and quietly opened the door but, to her surprise, he was not there. Now truly perplexed, her next thought was the stable. She quickly discovered that Firefoot was not in his stall, but none of the Eorlingas had seen him and they were all still there. Her eyes turned to the front gates of the property, and she went to inquire of the guards there. Though she had been expecting the answer she received, that Eomer had ridden out alone just before dawn and not yet returned, it did nothing to calm her. Turning on her heel, she headed to Faramir's study.

Before she could reach it, however, she met Eowyn pacing the hallway and breathing in a very regulated manner. "Eowyn? Are you unwell?" she asked.

Eowyn continued walking, a crease of concentration on her forehead. "I am not sure. I have been having some pains now and then, and they seem to be getting more frequent. I think the baby may be about due." A startled look came over her, and she looked down in an unwillingly manner to see a watery substance spreading over the floor. Trying to stay calm, she said, "My water has opened. You had best get the midwife for me."

For a moment, Lothiriel was torn between the two tasks, but then dashed off to find the midwife. Once she had turned Eowyn over to the woman's care, she could pursue finding Eomer. Less than a quarter hour later, she was knocking at Faramir's study door and, not waiting for an answer, she charged inside.

Faramir looked up startled at her approach, but before he could ask her any questions, she came to a stop at the front of his desk and blurted out, "Eomer is missing! You must send men out to find him at once!"

He rose slowly, and came around the desk to take her hand. "What is this? What do you mean?"

Taking a quick steadying breath, she explained her efforts to find the king and the information she had obtained. "He would not stay gone this long if something were not the matter, Faramir. He went unescorted – he could have had an accident or been attacked. You must send men to find him!"

"Very well, calm down. I will take care of it, but do not be alarmed. Eomer is an experienced soldier and outdoorsman. He can take care of himself quite well. Now, why do you not..."

Lothiriel interrupted, "You must hurry, Faramir! There is no time to waste. Eowyn may be about to give birth and you cannot have your attention split between two matters!"

For a moment, Faramir just stared at her, the words not quite registering, but then he bolted past her out the door. Lothiriel had to lift her skirt and run in order to follow him as he hastened out the door to the stables.

He found Amrothos sitting with the men of Rohan, talking in the stables as they tended their horses. To the Eorlingas, Faramir instructed, "You men, come with me. I need you to fill in for my guards. They must go out and look for King Eomer."

Folcgram, the leader of the King's escort party, stepped forward. "With all due respect, my lord, it should be our responsibility to..."

Faramir cut him off. "Yes, I know - under normal circumstances. But you are not familiar with this country as my men are. They would have a better idea of where to look and are used to tracking in this terrain. I will explain it to Eomer when he is safely back with us. Now, please, do as I say. There is no time to waste."

Folcgram looked uneasy. "You believe there is cause for alarm, my lord?"

Faramir was looking agitated at the delay, and Lothiriel pushed him toward the front gate to instruct his own men while she explained the situation to Folcgram. The Rider looked somewhat appeased by that and signaled his men to follow and take up their assignments as guards. Before they moved away, Amrothos told Folcgram, "I will accompany Faramir's men to find Eomer." The man nodded to him appreciatively before he strode after his men. Five minutes later, Amrothos and Faramir's guard rode away as he and Lothiriel hurried back to the house to check on Eowyn.

Lothiriel had seen enough babies born to know that the birthing process could take many hours, so it was difficult for her to focus all her attention on Eowyn when her mind rested on Eomer. Some two hours later, the guard had not yet returned with Eomer and it was now very clear that the baby was definitely on its way.

Both Faramir and Lothiriel were pacing the room, each for different reasons, and in the few moments when not in pain, Eowyn realized something more than the birth of her child was taking place. She pressed Lothiriel for information, and although reluctant to burden her with this worry, she finally relented and explained the situation to Eowyn. Eowyn reached for her hand, and told her reassuringly, "Do not fret. I am sure he is well and will be back...SOON!" The last word was a shout and Lothiriel's hand was nearly crushed in Eowyn's grip as she was seized with another strong contraction.

Lothiriel was finally able to free her hand and retreated across the room to rub some feeling back into it, while giving Faramir a shove toward the bed. "It is your job to get your hand broken during this, not mine!"

A disturbance in the hall caught her attention just then, and Lothiriel scurried out to check, not daring hope it was Eomer. It was, but he was covered in dirt and being carried between two men, while Amrothos led the way. She followed them to Eomer's room. They started to lay him on his bed, but she stopped them. As he was awake and did not seem to be seriously injured, she inquired of the trouble and learned about the lamed ankle. Directing them to sit him on a chair, she had them remove his filthy clothing and get him into something clean before putting him in the bed. While they did that, she went to fetch the healer, who was on hand for Eowyn's delivery but not presently needed there.

Quickly, Eomer's ankle was treated and bound, and while Lothiriel bathed his hands, head and neck, he told her what had happened. "Was Firefoot hurt?" she asked.

"Fortunately, no. He was far enough away that the sinkhole did not reach him." Eomer sighed, leaning tiredly back against the pillows.

Lothiriel eyed his muddy hair a few moments and then sent a servant to fetch water, soap and a large tub. They awkwardly managed to maneuver him so he was situated with his head over the tub, and Lothiriel washed the dirt out of his locks. Fresh linens replaced those soiled where his head had been and he was soon back to resting. Another servant arrived with the tray of food Lothiriel had requested for him, and she explained how he had almost missed all the excitement.

It was all Lothiriel could do to keep Eomer in the bed and not racing down the hall to check on his sister. Pushing him back against the pillows, she ordered, "There is nothing you can do for her in her travail, and it will drive you out of your mind to stand there and listen to her cries of pain! You would do best to just lie still and wait. We will know when you have a new niece or nephew. It could be quite some time yet."

Lothiriel spent the rest of the day at Eomer's bedside trying, not altogether successfully, to keep him distracted. While he had been eating, she had had the healer slip her some sleeping herbs that she mixed in a goblet of wine. If there was any unusual taste to it, Eomer did not seem to notice. It took longer than expected, probably because he was resisting, but at length, Eomer relaxed into the pillows and was quickly asleep. Lothiriel smiled down on him and kissed his brow, whispering, "I am sorry, my love, but this truly is for the best. You need rest and to remain in bed, and I should be with Eowyn just now."

Leaving a servant to keep an eye on him, she slipped out the door, casting one last loving look in his direction before moving down the hall.

xxxxx

Eowyn's travail lasted the remainder of the day and into the evening. Amrothos had disappeared for a while, but when he returned and learned of the imminent birth, promptly made himself scarce. He had never been very good in a sick room, and he certainly had no desire to be near a woman giving birth. Instead, he spent his time with the Eorlingas, advising them of the Lady Eowyn's status.

And then, at last, around midnight, she brought a son into the world. While Eowyn lay exhausted and pale on her bed, the midwife cleaned her and the baby, and then Lothiriel brought Faramir to meet his heir. Drawing the servants and midwife across the room with her, she afforded the happy couple a few moments of privacy to revel in their joy.

It did not take long, however, for the midwife to become anxious to attend to her duties and Faramir stepped aside while she and the others continued their work with his little family. Lothiriel moved alongside him and slipped an arm around his waist. "Congratulations, Papa! He is a fine boy!"

Squeezing her shoulders in response, he agreed, "Aye, he is." Turning, he kissed her head. "Thank you for your help in it. I know Eowyn was happy to have you near her for this." They stood in silence several moments, and then he remembered the other crisis in his household. "How is Eomer? What happened to him?"

She explained all that had taken place and assured him the king would be fine. "Speaking of which, I should go see if he is awake and tell him your good news. And then I think I will get some sleep myself. Will you send someone to let the Eorlingas know? They would like to hear this good news also." He nodded reassuringly and she stretched up to kiss his cheek. "See you in the morning, but call me in the night if Eowyn needs me."

xxxxx

They remained another week at Emyn Arnen, admiring baby Elboron and giving Eomer time to recover somewhat before continuing the journey to Edoras. There had been mention of obtaining a carriage for Eomer, but his protest was so vehement that they quickly gave up on persuading him along those lines. However, Lothiriel knew that Alcathir would be riding in a carriage with her son, Alphros, on the road between Minas Tirith and Edoras, and she would sometimes be joining her sister-in-law to ease her pains from riding so long. She was counting on being able to convince Eomer to spend at least some part of the trek riding along with her and giving his ankle a rest.

Two days before their party departed for Minas Tirith, Eowyn and Lothiriel were enjoying a chat while the new mother nursed her son. Suddenly, Eowyn looked up at the other woman. "I have not asked about your wedding clothes. Have you a dress chosen? One thing about Rohirric wedding customs – they do not allow for a great deal of planning!"

Lothiriel seemed equally startled by the question and admitted, "I have not given the matter much thought yet, though I suppose I must do so sooner rather than later. What sort of dress would be suitable for such an occasion in Rohan?"

Eowyn thought a few moments, then said, "We do not stand on so much ceremony as Gondor does, but as you are marrying into the royal house, your requirements are somewhat different. As the new queen, you cannot wear anything too plain or simple. It must be of the finest materials. Have you a dress you are especially fond of which could be altered?"

Before Lothiriel could respond, Eowyn's eyes lit up. "Oh – that green dress!"

For a moment, Lothiriel was not following her, but seeing her confusion, Eowyn explained, "The one you wore at Minas Tirith, the first night we arrived for my wedding. It was a dark green, with a softer green overgown. It was exquisite and Eomer could not take his eyes off you all night!"

Lothiriel blushed, not remembering that to be the case, but answered, "That is one of my favorites. Yes, I suppose Alcathir could help me prepare the green dress, if you think it appropriate."

A voice from the door asked, "Green dress? The one you wore at Minas Tirith a year ago? You were beautiful in that!" They looked up to see Eomer hobbling in, having caught the tail end of their conversation.

Eowyn grinned knowingly. "Then it is decided! That will be your wedding dress."

Eomer looked surprised to learn what they had been discussing, but then nodded his approval. "It is a good choice."

As Eowyn began to burp the baby, Lothiriel rose. "I will go get your food and then you can get some sleep while he naps."

As she turned toward the door, Eomer followed her out, limping along on the crutch he had been given. He caught her hand once they were in the hall. They had walked a short distance in silence, when he pulled her to a stop and turned her to face him. Looking into her eyes, he cupped the back of her neck with his hand and told her softly, "The night you wore that green dress to the feast was the first time I really saw you. I had spent two months seeing you every single day, but not until I looked across the table and saw you wearing that, did I truly see you, and notice how beautiful you are." Slowly he lowered his head and pressed a tender kiss to her lips.

It took a servant hurrying past, smiling down at her feet and trying not to stare at them, to get the pair back on track for taking Eowyn her meal, but if Lothiriel had any doubts about which would be her wedding dress, that kiss and his words had been the deciding factor.

Replies to you lovely reviewers (and thanks to you even if I don't comment on anything you said - I do appreciate them all):

shie1dmaidenofrohan – "Amrothos in this story reminds me so much of the No Mistake version" – yes, he is basically the same. Not quite the clown as in No Mistake, but still the earnest "little brother" (even though he's older). I guess I've just known too many "little brothers" like that not to base his character on them. ; "And you're much nicer to your readers than I am, waiting until a story's completely done." – Don't know if I'm nice so much as I don't like the pressure of feeling like I have to write and have to finish what I write. If I totally lose interest, I can just walk away from my stories and no one is the wiser. I'd feel too guilty if I got a bunch of people hooked and then didn't want to finish. I'd end up writing more, without "feeling" it, and I don't think it would be all that good. My second Harry Potter story suffered, I think, a bit from the forced nature of hurrying to finish it before July 16. But once it's written, I can't see dragging out posting it either. I might get more reviews if I did, but I know when I get engrossed in a story, I want to be able to keep reading, so I hate to make others have to wait a week or more for no reason. Basically, I'm just not the typical episodic fanfic author – I can't write in the generally accepted way of doing it (chapter by chapter). I don't even usually write my stories in a linear fashion. Sometimes I jump ahead and then have to go back and put a "middle" in them.

utsuri – "So you're kinda like Shakespeare in that" – wow! Quite a comparison – thank you! At least you didn't attempt to compare the "quality" of our respective works. I doubt mine will endure for the ages as his has, but if it gives a few moments pleasure to a few folks, that's all I'm hoping for. And you're right – often we do pretty much know how the story will "end" (esp. in fanfic), but we want to ride along on the trip getting there.

Elwen of Lorien – "A little late but it is the thought that counts." – yes, but you have to remember that Eomer has only been in Dol Amroth 3 days at this point. As slow as he had been moving, Eothain couldn't have expected him to wake up that suddenly, so he should have turned up with the gift in plenty of time to "get things moving". He was delighted to discover his "help" was no longer needed!

Jazzcat – "His honesty is all the romance and poetry Lothiriel needs." – yes, we ladies can forgive a lot if they are at least sincere!