By the Sea Chapter 19: Secrets Exposed, a lord of the rings fanfic

By the Sea.

Chapter Nineteen: Secrets Exposed.

Five days had passed since that fateful evening upon the balcony.

Admittedly, Lothíriel saw very little of her husband in those five days and even though she felt hurt by his distance, she realised that she deserved the aloof treatment she received from Éomer. Had she not done the same to him during the first few months of their marriage? Had she not behaved appallingly to such a wonderful man?

There was absolutely no reason why she should mope about the castle, pining for something she had done nothing to gain nor deserve. Instead, she would wait for Éomer to come to her when he was ready. He needed time, and she would give him that without wallowing in her own self-pity, for she had done that far too long and it needed to be stopped.

It was time to cast aside her past and look forward.

So, Lothíriel enjoyed what free time she had with her brothers; conversing with Elphir's wife and playing with their son, Nemír, her young nephew. It was difficult to watch Nemír laugh and be so... So full of life. It only served to remind her about how much she was missing in the joyous occasion of motherhood.

The longing in her heart grew with every passing moment she spent in the young child's company. But Lothíriel found that she could not tear herself away from her brother's beautiful son. Even though she grieved at the sight of him, there was also a certain contentment in his presence that she could find nowhere else. And eventually, she felt that her heart was beginning to heal from the bruising wounds that had been inflicted during the loss of her own child.

As well as occupying her time with Nemír, Lothíriel also strolled along the sandy shores of her home just before sunrise, as she had done so many times in her childhood. She even visited the market-place, taking leisurely walks down the hewn stone streets of her father's city.

The people were friendly—accommodating and kind, just as she remembered them. Elphir's wife, Dúrvain, even joined her on a few occasions to sample the local delicacies in the market, sometimes bringing along little Nemír so that he too could enjoy the city sights.

The two women bided their time by sifting through small shops and stalls, unaware and uncaring that some of the locals stopped to stare at the Royal pair. They bowed and curtseyed politely at anyone who wished to greet them and give small gifts to them. Lothíriel felt warmed by their courtesy and charm. Very rarely had she been allowed out of the castle grounds as a child, and she enjoyed interacting with the many people of the city, even though her father still insisted that a guard be assigned to protect her. It was royal protocol and something she did not argue with. But sometimes, just sometimes, she wished she could run free from the hampering situation.

However, Lothíriel was simply glad that she could have the opportunity to go through her old dwellings before returning to Edoras. Her true home. Dol Amroth would always hold a special place in her heart, but she had come realise that her home was not by the sea, as she previously thought it to be.

Her home was where her heart lay; with Éomer.

Coming to such a bold conclusion in the five days of rest and relaxation, without her husband, had been a thunderous shock to her state of mind.

Dol Amroth would always be cherished within her mind, but now she felt the urge to return to Edoras and see her husband's people. Her people. Indeed, it was true that she wished this and she could not hide from it any longer.

To deny such thoughts would have been an injustice; Lothíriel loved her husband deeply.

Éomer, in the meantime, had holed himself up with her father so that he could try to gain more insight into the ruling of a country.

She could not fault him for this.

It was difficult enough to know that your memory had gone, without coming to terms with the death of an uncle and the attainment of a throne in the process; as well as learning that you are wed to woman you had no idea existed. But her father would help him through this difficult time, even if she could not, by keeping him occupied and giving him advice about the conduct and manner of a ruler as well as the trading and treaties between two countries allied together.

Lothíriel was eternally grateful to her father for the role he played to Éomer and did not know how she could ever repay him. She was lucky to have such a wonderful family. And if anyone in her family noticed the distance between herself and Éomer, it was not mentioned.

Thus, Lothíriel was allowed rest from her duties in Rohan to find peace and comfort in the place of her birth. Though she missed Éomer's companionship, she took it in her stride when they were together during formal occasions. And she savoured every moment in his presence.

It was on the tenth day of their stay in Dol Amroth that Lothíriel's world came tumbling down around her.

She awoke that morning to find Éomer already dressed and standing with uncertainty beside their bed, watching intently as she roused herself from the peaceful slumber that had captured her so completely. Closing her eyes again for a mere second, Lothíriel sighed in contentment as she felt a soft delicate brush upon her brow, like the first kiss of spring.

Her sky tinted eyes snapped open and focused upon her husband questioningly.

Had he just touched her..?

But she could see that he had not moved from his prior position.

In the days of their stay at Dol Amroth, Éomer had not shared their bed with her, often choosing to sleep on the chilly hard floor or the large high-backed chair by the balcony doors. As a warrior and commander, she knew that he was well versed in sleeping under difficult conditions, but it was getting beyond ridiculous.

So Lothíriel had tried, unsuccessfully, to get him to sleep on the bed. She offered to sleep on the floor in his stead or shift to a different chamber from him, but he would always refuse and leave no further room for argument. Sometimes, she honestly could not understand his motivations. He did not wish to sleep in the same bed, but he also did not wish for her to move into separate chambers.

The male-mind boggled her to new found heights.

Perhaps, she decided, it would not have been wise to shift into different rooms. Tongues would be wagging and gossiping about the dissent between them and it would not bode well for Rohan's image if the King and Queen could not stomach one anothers' presence. Thus, she spoke no more about her husband's odd sleeping habits.

Blinking away the sleep that still clouded her mind, she frowned and yawned; a feat that was achieved with years of practise. "Éomer?"

He remained silent for a moment, shifting his weight uneasily. "Your father has summoned us to his council chambers," he announced quietly. "Your handmaidens await you in the antechamber; I will remain here to escort you."

Frowning, Lothíriel nodded and rose from the bed, wondering what was going on. Quickly, she retreated into the antechamber without glancing back at her husband. It was odd that they had been summoned when twilight had not faded into dawn. Lothíriel allowed the handmaidens to quickly wash her down and dress her as she remained immersed in her own thoughts. When they finished, she still had not come to any sort of conclusion.

Emerging from the antechamber, Lothíriel caught her husband's eye as he stood by the doorway, and tilted her head thoughtfully. "Do you know why he has called for us?" She asked softly.

Éomer hesitated to speak, and she could see that he knew exactly why Imrahil had summoned them. "It is best that you speak with your father," he said with finality.

Sighing, Lothíriel acquiesced and took her husband's outstretched arm so that he could lead her to her father.

When they entered her father's council rooms, Lothíriel was surprised to find Erchirion standing sombrely by the open windows. A light breeze caused the heavy velvet drapes to dance lightly in rhythm by his legs; the pleasant sound of rustling tickled the folds of her ears. Erchirion's eyes were distant and fierce as he gazed at her, but a grim smile was plastered across his face... He looked so unlike the brother she loved. Where had his joy gone? Where was the charming man with the beguiling smile that had left her at Edoras? She had noticed over the duration of her stay that he seemed changed.

Lothíriel spied her father sitting at his desk with a grave expression and suddenly, she was struck by how serious the situation seemed. Whatever it was, something untoward was about to occur and she was not looking forward to it. After a lengthy pause, Lothíriel released Éomer's arm so that she could step towards her father. His eyes fell upon her before he rose from his comfortable seat.

Sighing wearily, Imrahil held out his hand to his only daughter.

"Ada?" Lothíriel's voice was quiet as she placed her hand in her father's large palm. From the corner of her eye, she saw Éomer move to stand beside her brother at the open shutters of the window. Both her husband and brother solemnly regarded Imrahil and Lothíriel.

The Prince of Dol Amroth sighed heavily, as though a great burden sat upon his shoulders. "My daughter..." He cupped her cheek with his free hand as he gazed deeply into her eyes, lightly squeezing her fingers.

Lothíriel felt her heart seize at the severity of his conduct. "What is the matter?" She breathed, unsure of how she should handle the situation.

Gently, Imrahil leaned down to kiss her brow. "There is a request I must make of you."

"A request?" She drew back and nodded. "What is it that you wish for, Ada?"

"Your compassion."

The response confused Lothíriel beyond belief.

Before she could voice such thoughts, her father led her towards the far side of the large room. As he took her towards the corner, Lothíriel eyed the small wooden crib that finally came into view. What surprised her even more was the small mewling sound that came from it. She stepped closer to the cradle, her eyes widening with wonder at the sight of the small babe that lay inside, swaddled in luxurious cloth. Wisps of ebony black hair curled onto the small child's forehead, it's eyes closed and face scrunched against the pale light emanating from the candles in the room.

Lothíriel could not stop the gasp that fell from her pale pink lips. With a frown, she looked at her father as he released her hand. "What is this child doing here, father?" To her right, she felt Erchirion suddenly step into the empty space beside her.

"He is mine," her brother whispered, almost to himself as he looked down at the child with a pained, longing expression.

Appalled by the suggestion, Lothíriel whirled around to face him. "What? How can that be?" Erchirion was not wed, it was not possible that the babe should be his.

Without flinching at Lothíriel's harsh voice, Erchirion raised his cold grey eyes to her. "Ten months ago, I made a grave mistake and this," he gestured at the child, "Was the result."

She could not believe her ears. Blinking rapidly, Lothíriel looked at the child and then at her brother, repeating this gesture several times. "A mistake?" The tremor in her speech did not go undetected by her brother.

Erchirion scowled. "I dallied with someone I should not have; this is the price I have paid for my indiscretion."

Lothíriel released her breath in a rush of disbelief. "And have you wed with the mother of this child?" She asked shrilly, knowing that it must have caused their father a great amount of trouble to deal with Erchirion's situation. How had Imrahil explained all of this to his people? And why had it been kept from her for so long?

The dark-haired Prince shook his head morosely. "I did not know she was with child," he murmured, "The babe was delivered to our door a few weeks prior, secreted to us in the night, with only a note and a gold chain belonging to his mother, attached to him." Lethargically, he reached into the breast pocket of his tunic and produced a crumpled piece of poorly produced parchment.

Lothíriel took the letter and set about reading the contents with a stony air of indifference.

By the end of the letter, she opened her mouth to speak, but could not find the words necessary to deal with her brother. "The child's mother is dead then," she choked out after a period of oppressing silence. "And how can you be sure that he is your son?"

Erchirion snorted desolately. "He is mine," he reiterated firmly. "Of that, I am certain; the name of the woman in question was my..."

"Your what?" Lothíriel prodded gently but with determination.

Her brother blinked, as though he was washing away something from his past he did not wish to regurgitate. "A passing fancy," he muttered so that only she could hear. "I was only with her one time."

"Only one time?" She said, louder than she wished. Lowering her voice again, Lothíriel tugged roughly at her brother's sleeve. "Only one time is needed Erchirion," she hissed furiously. "How could you allow this to happen?" The roughly put question lingered between them. When he made no move to reply, Lothíriel spoke again. "You have cost father his integrity with your selfishness. Did you not stop to think what the consequence would be? Did you not, for one second, believe that this child could be the result of your dalliance?" Again, she yanked his sleeve so that he would look at her. "You were not married to her! What were you thinking?"

For the first time in his life, Erchirion had no words to argue with her justly posed questions or accusations. And for the first time in her life, Lothíriel was ashamed to see her brother lower his head at her reprimand.

Feeling pity for her brother, she shook her head desperately. "Erchirion," his sadly spoken name allowed him to raise his head and gaze at her with hope. "I am sorry, brother... For your loss," Lothíriel said softly, referring to the death of the child's mother.

Erchirion nodded solemnly and before he could say anything else, Lothíriel stepped close to embrace him with all the love she could muster.

He clung to her as one would cling to sinking ship. And beneath the taut muscles of his strong frame, she could feel his tremors as if they were her own. Eventually, only Imrahil's hand upon her shoulder pulled her back to reality. Pulling away from her brother, she looked at her father questioningly.

"Erchirion has a request to make of you, Lothíriel," Imrahil offered.

Nodding seriously, Lothíriel looked back at her brother. He shifted under her scrutiny before speaking. "The knowledge of my indiscretion has not yet been made public, sister. Nor is it intended. I do not wish for father to suffer because of my folly and," he paused, looking at his father. Imrahil nodded gravely for Erchirion to continue. "It is my wish that you and Éomer take this child and raise him in Rohan... I know it is much to ask of you, little sister. But it is the only solution I can offer at present..."

The words had been spoken, but it took Lothíriel a great deal of time to comprehend her brother's request. Slowly, her mind numb to all else, she turned to gaze at Éomer and found him staring at her intently. He nodded for her to answer; it was obvious that he seemed to have no objections to Erchirion's wish. It must have been discussed with him prior to this day.

Lothíriel exhaled loudly, feeling completely stunned and taken aback by the events occurring around her. What in Varda's name was she to do?

Whatever would come of this, she knew that she would have to speak with her husband before making any sort of decision.

NB: Lothíriel's overbearing reaction to Erchirion's child is justified. Tolkien was Catholic therefore sex before marriage was considered taboo and unheard of, this is noted in HoMe as well; it just wasn't done. I know it seems far-fetched to us now, but such occurrences would not have been the norm for people in those times, especially nobility. Let's face it, if every person went around romping as they pleased, Tolkien's world would have been full of unwanted children. It is fine that many stories portray the princes to be slightly adventurous, and while that may be ok, it's not the case in this story. I hope this note clears up any confusion :-) Oh, and Erchirion's son will not be Elfwine.

Added Notes: I have to congratulate Saccopelista! ;hugs; She made the observation that many have overlooked, I have been trying to make Lothíriel somewhat unlovable, like the great Scarlet O'Hara. I really, honestly, hate that woman. Drives me completely bonkers. I've noticed that most writers tend to make Lothíriel quite likeable in their stories and I wanted to do something different. However, I am glad to say that she will change and become a character that everyone will be fond of. It only makes it real if there are flaws in a person's characteristics, don't you think?

Anyway, there is no rest for the wicked.I'm sure this new development will certainly put kinks in Éomer and Lothíriel's relationship, but Lothíriel still has to accept Erchirion's wish. Whatever will she do? I know... I love to be evil. But worry not, this will not affect the development you will see between Éomer and Lothíriel smirk Hopefully, an update will be available during the middle of the week, where Éomer is in the spotlight. Fingers crossed.

Thanks to Blue Eyes At Night, lady scribe of avandell, plzkthx101, EruntaleofRohan, dferveiro, wondereye, buttercup7, Enigmatic Irish and Flying Pheonix,for reviewing. I love reading all of your comments, they really do make my day! Until next time, hugs and kisses all around.