Part 58 of the Elfwine Chronicles. The Elfwine Chronicles are a series of one-shots built around the family group of Eomer, Lothiriel and Elfwine. The total number will depend on how many ideas I get for new vignettes.

A/N: I think this was probably inspired by a oneshot done by Elwen of Lorien called "Three Sounds of a Horn". A bit more fluff for Valentine's Day!

Peace

(Apr, 3020 III)

Lothiriel sat quietly on the sofa, working at her knitting, but occasionally glancing up fondly at her new husband. Too soon, he'd had to be back at his responsibilities as king, and with so much devastation in the Mark, he was putting in long hours. Unwilling to merely see him at meals, and sleeping beside her if she happened to be awake, she had taken to sitting with him in his study as he worked in the evenings. She was careful not to distract him with needless conversation, but she preferred to at least share his company, if nothing else. At first, he had tried to dissuade her, thinking it asked too much of her to sit silently and have to find employment for her time, but she had insisted upon it. It had pleased him greatly when she assured him that, though she may have married the king, she had first and foremost married the man she loved. She did not intend to let his duties keep them separated whenever she could find a way to avoid it.

If the truth be known, Eomer snuck more glances at his wife than she likely noticed. And somehow her presence made it more bearable to sit there toiling over reports and requests for aid. He already knew she had an agile mind and excellent ideas on resolving some of the difficulties they faced, so it made her readily accessible whenever he wished to ask her opinion, but he found that it also calmed him in some indefinable way. During the course of the day, his muscles seemed to knot and bunch unrelentingly, and often his eyes were tired and his head was pounding. But the evenings spent in her company were different. He was working no less hard than before, but her nearness brought him contentment.

Eomer was suddenly conscious of the fact that he had been sitting staring at her for the last few minutes. Clearly it was getting late, and now was as good a time as any to call it a night. Rising, he moved over to seat himself beside her, and she readily laid aside her work to smile at him and take his hand. She was surprised to find a pensive look on his face, and waited for him to express his thoughts.

"When I was a boy..." he began, then paused to consider his words.

Reaching over, he caught her by the waist and lifted her onto his lap, the better to snuggle her close into his embrace and bury his face in her neck. They sat silently for quite some time, until finally he attempted to finish his explanation.

"I would sometimes sneak out of my bed at night, especially right after my father had come home from being away. I would often find my parents sitting alone, talking together, but more frequently I would find them holding one another in silence for long periods of time. I do not think I understood how they could sit there so long and say nothing but, even so, it always gave me a peaceful feeling to witness it. I determined then that I wished to one day have that for myself."

He lapsed into silence again for a time, and Lothiriel's hand came up to stroke his face as she pressed a kiss to his temple. Turning his head, he caught her lips with his own and for several minutes they were lost in one another. When they broke apart, it was evident that there was more Eomer wished to say and Lothiriel raised a prompting eyebrow at him.

"When I met you, I think that was one of the first things I noticed about you. I could sit with you in utter silence and not feel awkward. It surprised me to have it be so with someone I had only known a few days, but as I thought more about it, I began to comprehend the reason. Trust. I trusted you completely, almost from the moment we first met. I did not need to explain myself to you. And then I realized that was what my parents had shared, and what I had desired all those years ago. Someone who I could be so thoroughly at ease with that words were not necessary."

He kissed her again, then added softly, "Now, I understand that there was more than just trust involved in what my parents shared, but I have obtained that also. Thank you, my love."

Tightening her arms around his neck, she kissed his temple again and snuggled in closer. She knew that he did not require a response from her. He already had her answer.

THE END

2-6-06

End note: It is best that you read the Elfwine Chronicles in the order they were written. The more of them that I wrote, the more likely I was to make reference to one of the previous ones and something that happened there. If you want to read them in order, go to the top of this page and click on my name (Deandra). That will take you to my profile page. Scroll down and you will find all the stories I have written. The Elfwine Chronicles are in order from bottom to top since ffn shows them in the order they were posted. A few were posted out of number order, but you can read them in posting order or number order since those few won't be affected in the story content.