Yay! New (short) chapter. I enjoy it. I hope you do, too. Even if I don't own any of the characters, settings, etc.
-The Author
It was amazing how small a time it took for a set of men to get in trouble with a brothel. Eomer sighed to himself at the idiocy of it all, and accepted Beregond's invitation for lunch. There was a score of men, sitting out on his verandah. Beregond disappeared inside for reasons somehow involving his wife chirping at him. He smiled to himself, and sat down with the only other man he was acquainted with, Amrothos of Dol Amroth. He was sitting with another man, who he introduced as his cousin, Lord Faramir.
"Formerly of the House of the Stewards," said Amrothos. "But we won't be needing those anymore, hey? Not with the King here, and that elf-bride. But never mind that. Before you arrived, Eomer, I was trying to lure my mysterious cousin's secret from him."
"A secret appreciates with age," said Faramir, innocently sipping from his cup.
"I think," said Amrothos, "That Faramir is relieved to not have to take the Throne of Gondor, and is glad to hide in the Gardens of Old and read his book until he dies a bachelor at a hundred and two."
Faramir grinned widely. "The bachelor's life is not for me," he said.
"Oh, really?" Amrothos patted his shoulder, and leaned in confidentially, although Eomer could still hear his every word. "Then why haven't I heard about you courting any ladies, hm?"
Faramir again took another sip from his cup of innocence, and didn't respond.
"Ah-ha," said Amrothos. "We are indeed getting somewhere. Faramir has a girl, hiding somewhere."
"In the bushes there?" Eomer suggested.
The other two men laughed.
"Well," said Amrothos, "I wish you all the luck in finding your wife; I've already found mine."
"Oh, really?" Faramir grinned. "And with whom, may I ask?"
"Eowyn," said Eomer. "My sister, Lady of Rohan."
Faramir stared at him in astonishment.
"Who?" Faramir asked.
"Eowyn." Why did he have the strangest sense of déjà vu? "My sister, Lady of Rohan."
Faramir looked at his cup. He took another drink from it.
"You've met her, probably," said Amrothos. "She was in the Houses of Healing the same time as you. Blonde, pale, the saddest eyes you ever saw."
Faramir nodded. He set his cup down, and slid it back and forth between his hands.
"Are you alright?" Eomer asked.
Faramir looked at him. "Yes," he said. "I'm sorry. How could -- did this match happen?"
"Amrothos asked me," said Eomer. "We hammered out the terms, I said yes, and then I left to go tell Eowyn."
"She knows?"
"Yes," said Eomer. "She was quite surprised, but she'll get over it. She always knew she was meant for a Gondorian Lord. She can't stay in the Golden Halls forever."
"I have an appointment," Faramir said shortly. He stood up.
"That's sudden," said Amrothos.
"With who, may I ask?"
Faramir swallowed the last from his drink. "Well," he said.
With a sudden shout, out came Beregond and his wife, and a few servants, with food for all. Faramir disappeared in the confusion, muttering his apologies to Beregond, who understood, and then left for his appointment with Eowyn.