A/N: In case you are trying to place this story, in New Beginnings, which took place in Jul 21 IV, Elfwine and Eldarion discussed the latter's marital prospects. This story opened in March 22 IV, just before Elfwine and Dariel are married.

Also, I know there were votes for Eldarion to hook up with a Haradrim woman, and I considered it, but I was just too lazy to go that route! It would have required doing a whole backstory and creating a culture for her, and I just wasn't prepared to go to that much trouble, particularly since Eldarion is a "secondary" character in the Elfwine Chronicles. (Plus, I had already sort of hit upon this idea of Luthiel and kind of wanted to go with it.) However, that does leave the door wide open for anyone else inclined to create such a story...

Détente

Chapter 2

The next few days at Edoras were not pleasant for Eldarion, and Luthiel wasn't enjoying them much either, always being on her guard for whatever he might pull next. Even so, Elfwine and Dariel's wedding was beautiful, and Luthiel could not hold back tears of joy for her friend and cousin. They deserved each other and the happiness they had found. It bothered her that she might never find such herself, but she could not begrudge it to those she cared about. Against her will, her eyes flicked to Eldarion, and she was surprised to see him watching her with a strange expression. She had always rather liked him, even imagining as a girl that she would grow up and marry the handsome prince, but that was before he became so insufferably full of himself. It wasn't that he was a bad person, and normally he was very kind and considerate, but he simply did not seem to grasp that his conceit was a detriment to any woman developing fond feelings for him.

The unspoken battle between Eldarion and Luthiel continued for the remainder of their visit in Rohan and on the trip home. Luthiel was more than a little relieved to finally be able to escape him by returning to Emyn Arnen. Though most of her family was presently staying in Minas Tirith, she did not object to being at home alone, and she rather enjoyed the peace after the nerve-racking outing.

Unfortunately, it did not last long. Elboron elected to come home a week later, and it turned out Eldarion had wangled an invitation to accompany him. Luthiel was immediately on her guard, but over the next few days she could not fail to notice Eldarion holding back. She could tell he still had something of an interest in her, but he was not so persistent in approaching her, nor so irritatingly puffed up when he did. She found she was actually rather enjoying this visit far more than she had their proximity during the wedding festivities for her cousin.

As a result of his improved behavior, Luthiel agreed to go riding with him one morning when Elboron was otherwise occupied. The woods of Ithilien were as familiar to her as her own home, and she enjoyed showing them off to anyone willing to appreciate them. While Eldarion had always considered Ithilien the true garden spot of Gondor, most of the time he found his gaze wandering back to the equally natural beauty of his companion.

After a while, she began to be aware of his distracted attention, and decided to shift his focus away from her. With a shout of challenge, she told him, "See if you can keep up with me, your highness!" Immediately, she wheeled her mare and crashed off down a narrow trail.

Eldarion flung his horse after Luthiel, determined not to let her best him. But she was a skilled horsewoman, as well as intimately familiar with the woods of Ithilien. Her laughter drifted back to him as they raced through the forest, and it spurred him to press his horse faster. Ahead of him, he saw her horse leap a fallen tree, and he prepared himself to follow.

The next thing he knew he was tumbling painfully across the ground through the scrub brush. Finally coming to a stop, he lay breathing hard and not daring to move. After a moment, he tentatively began an examination of his body for injuries, wincing sharply when he tried to move his right arm.

Luthiel apparently had become aware of his fall, and was doubling back to check on him, to his considerable embarrassment. Why did these mishaps only occur in her presence?

She was gazing down at him with a smirk, one hand on her hip, but then she seemed to realize the way he was holding his arm indicated an injury. Hastily she dismounted and hurried over to him. Gently she took hold of the arm and began her own examination of it. With a sigh, she sat back on her heels and gave him a contemplative look. "I think it is broken, or at least badly sprained."

He groaned in response as she considered the matter, then decisively rose. "Wait here." She moved off and found some sturdy branches that she broke to the desired length. Then, tearing strips from the hem of her gown, she used the fabric to secure the sticks along his arm and restrict its movement. Eyeing his horse and then him, she finally moved to her own mare and led her closer, "It would be better if you ride Ansul. She will not be so difficult for you to manage with one hand. I will ride your horse."

Eldarion sat staring at her, inclined to argue, but unable to think of any reasonable points to bring up. He would never be able to handle his horse while so impaired, though it concerned him to have her ride the beast instead. And, for that matter, how was he even going to be able to mount any horse without the use of his right arm.

Since she clearly was waiting for him, he decided to let the realization of their predicament come to her rather than bother voicing it. To his surprise, she dropped the horse's reins, and moved him into position. Leaning down she lifted his foot and got it into the stirrup and then gestured for him to catch hold of the saddle with his left hand.

"Luthiel, this is not going to work…" he began, but she moved behind him anyway.

"Yes, it will. Do what you can and I will help."

He sincerely hoped he wouldn't have to endure too much pain before she finally recognized the impossibility of what they were attempting. Even so, he reached up and tried to haul himself into the saddle. He could feel her hands on his hips trying to boost him, but it was an awkward position and he wasn't making much progress.

She finally saw that there was no way to do this nicely and, pressing her hands firmly on his seat, she heaved him upward. Once he was partially off the ground, she had to struggle to keep him from falling back on her, but he leaned forward and his weight finally tilted him over the saddle. There was nothing graceful about the mounting, but at least he was in the saddle.

Luthiel was rather surprised that Eldarion didn't make a rude comment about where she had placed her hands; he even seemed to be blushing slightly. She pretended not to notice and handed him the reins, then went to mount his horse. He watched her settle into the saddle and warned, "Be careful, Luthiel. That animal is a menace! I do not wish to see you hurt."

She flashed a grin at him. "Perhaps Elfwine is right and you need to obtain a Rohirric horse that is more dependable!" Then she added reassuringly, "Do not worry. I may be Gondorian by birth, but Rohirric blood flows in my veins. I can handle the likes of this beast. I will probably have him better in hand than you ever did!"

Despite the boastful tone of her words, Eldarion did not think she had intended them to be. She was merely confident in her horse-handling abilities. By the time they reached the stables, he was forced to grudgingly concede that his horse was better behaved under her than he had ever known the animal to be.

Quietly he observed, "Perhaps it is not so much a case of my needing a Rohirric horse, as my horse needing a better rider."

To his surprise, Luthiel blushed at the implied compliment. "You are not a bad rider, Eldarion, though the Rohirrim could teach you things to improve your skills. However, there is no mistaking this is a challenging animal to ride, and he requires a rider's full attention. Elfwine is right – you would be better served with a Rohirric horse that works with you rather than against you."

With the help of several stable hands, they were able to get him out of the saddle without causing him too much pain. A rider was dispatched to town to fetch the healer while Luthiel got him inside. She led him to the library to await aid, and had a servant bring them something to eat in the meantime. For some reason, she suddenly felt awkward with him, and it appeared he was equally ill at ease. Both were grateful to be interrupted, first by the trays of food and then by the healer.

Fortunately, it turned out the elbow was twisted and sprained, but it was not broken. The healer bound it securely, instructing Luthiel on how to do it again if necessary, and then left some herbs to be prepared in a tea to ease his discomfort.

Eldarion found it downright humiliating that she was having to assist him in eating, but he was clumsy with his left hand. Suddenly he had a better appreciation for what Elfwine had suffered.

When they had finally made it through the meal, Eldarion admitted that he very much wanted to lay down for a while. Luthiel walked him to his room, and sent for a servant to help him with his clothing and washing. He stared after her in silence as she left.

xxxxx

Luthiel did not see much of Eldarion for the next month. He had returned to Minas Tirith two days after the accident, and she had remained behind. She found he drifted into her thoughts more than she would have anticipated. The ten days or so he had spent at Emyn Arnen had shown a different Eldarion.

She had always known him to be a friendly, amusing person, so that did not truly surprise her, but perhaps it was his changed behavior with her. She had the distinct impression he was still interested in pursuing her, but it was clear that his tactics had changed.

The trouble was, she couldn't be sure what that meant. Was he truly different? Had he finally realized how offensive his arrogance was and humbled himself? Somehow she couldn't quite believe that, but neither could she think of another explanation for what she had witnessed.

In some ways, she was curious to see him again when she at last joined her family in the city. Now perhaps she could get a better sense of what he was thinking, and intending.

She wasn't sure if she was relieved or astonished to find him still rather subdued. He continued to flirt with just about everything in a skirt, she noticed at the next dance, but somehow he was…changed. And it bothered her that she couldn't quite put her finger on how.

Little altered in their situation over the next few months. Luthiel encountered Eldarion regularly, but he did not go out of his way to approach her, and most of their interaction involved the both of them spending time with Elboron. It wasn't clear to Luthiel whether it was her brother's presence or his own choice that had Eldarion treating her like a friend once more, but eventually she accepted it and began to relax with him again.

June brought a visit from the recently wed couple, when Elfwine and Dariel journeyed to Minas Tirith to visit her family. Luthiel realized how much she had missed Dariel. The two had been close, largely due to the circumstances of their birth that set them apart from so many others. Added to that was their different mindset about people and life. With each other, they knew they had someone who would understand anything they might confide, and each had relied on that shared assurance.

Eldarion was pleased to see his sister looking well also, and as much in love as ever, though he had hardly expected to find her otherwise. Dariel had loved Elfwine almost from their earliest acquaintance, as he had loved her. Eldarion wasn't certain he believed in love at a single sighting, but the two of them came very close to that. To the best of his knowledge, neither had ever wavered in their fondness for the other, or shown interest in anyone else.

And their presence caused him further pangs of envy. He had tried to do as Elfwine had instructed, and behave in a more gentlemanly way around Luthiel. He knew she was more relaxed around him now than when he had first begun pursuing her so energetically. What he was not sure of was whether or not he was any closer to winning her affections than he had been before. She seemed to like him better this way, but there was no indication of any particular regard beyond that of a friend. And, gradually, he had begun to realize he very much did not want to fail in this.

The next dance, held in honor of the visitors, was something Eldarion had been looking forward to attending. It would provide yet another opportunity to seek Luthiel's approval, and hopefully even afford him a few dances with her. As it turned out, it proved instead to be one of the most painful experiences of his life.

For some reason, there seemed to be an increased interest in Luthiel at this gathering. More than once, Eldarion had started toward her to procure a dance, only to have someone else reach her first and have to watch her disappear into the crowd. Worse yet, was that she seemed to be so thoroughly enjoying herself that she did not even notice he was present, much less had not danced with her.

Well before the dance concluded, he left the hall, unwilling to watch her from a distance any longer. He had been dangerously close, more than once, to charging onto the floor and forcing her partner to maintain a more proper demeanor with her. He had been amazed that neither Elboron nor Elfwine had done anything about it, though perhaps neither had noticed. While he well knew that Luthiel was quite capable of discouraging someone attempting to be overly friendly against her wishes, it still rankled him to have to watch and do nothing. And she had not seemed to object; that was the most annoying part. His advances might be unwelcome, but not all gentlemen shared that distinction.

Gondor's Steward did not miss the departure of Eldarion from the dance. He had been observing the young man for some time, noticing in particular the way his eyes followed Luthiel. It had been evident during the events surrounding Elfwine's marriage that Eldarion had chosen to pursue his daughter, as many a young man before him had, and to Faramir's discerning eyes it was equally clear that Luthiel was less than impressed with his efforts.

Yet tonight was different. There had been hurt in the man's eyes as he watched Luthiel from afar, and longing. Faramir well knew of Eldarion's not-so-savory reputation for meaningless, flirtatious behavior with ladies, and he had not relished the idea of his pursuing Luthiel. When he had voiced his concerns to Eowyn, she had seemed amused by it. His wife had assured him that Luthiel was very capable of fending off the advances of any young man who did not find favor with her. While he knew that to be true, and believed his daughter mature beyond her years, there was still the worrisome detail of whom precisely she was rebuffing this time.

On the one occasion he had brought the 'chase' to King Elessar's attention, his monarch had merely been entertained, apparently thinking it no more serious than any previous to it. Perhaps sensing Faramir's concern, however, he assured his Steward that Eldarion was on his own in this matter. If he got out of line and Luthiel found it necessary to defend herself against his persistence, Eldarion would find his father completely unwilling to intervene on his behalf. Luthiel was a worthy choice of companion, but his son would have to win her heart on his own.

xxxxx

The next day found Eldarion in a foul mood. It did not improve when, over dinner, he learned that Luthiel was to spend the next day browsing the marketplace with a young nobleman. Shortly after this was discovered, Eldarion excused himself, without finishing his meal, and headed for the stable. He could not stand to stay in the city a moment longer.

A near-breakneck ride to the Anduin did nothing to ease the emotions roiling inside him. For several long moments, he had an almost uncontrollable urge to fling himself into the river, but realized he was far too good a swimmer to be able to drown that easily.

Grumpily he sat down on a fallen tree close to the riverbank, and picked up a dead branch. He had been there only a few minutes when he heard hoofbeats approaching. He knew there were enough soldiers scattered around the vicinity that it was unlikely anyone had followed him to make sure he was safe.

The rider dismounted and moved to stand silently behind Eldarion.

"Do not say it!" Eldarion snapped, seeming to know who had joined him without looking up.

Elfwine suppressed a slight grin and took a seat on the log beside his friend. "I was not going to."

"Good. I am not in the mood to hear it."

They sat in silence for several long minutes, watching Eldarion gouge furrows in the dirt with the branch he held. At length, Eldarion rubbed his face with one hand and admitted quietly, "I thought love would come easily for me – like everything else in my life. I suppose the difference is that love involves another person, with their own thoughts and feelings, and not just my own natural abilities or developed skills."

He lapsed into silence again, and Elfwine was surprised at how astute his observation was. It was easy to forget, sometimes, with Eldarion's irreverent manner, that he was really quite intelligent and aware.

"May I ask you something?" Elfwine inquired.

His friend threw him a quick sidelong glance, then nodded reluctantly.

"Do you truly care for Luthiel, or is she just another conquest to be made? Do you want her because you love her, or because you cannot have her?"

Abruptly, Eldarion rose and moved several paces away. Finally, he said self-mockingly, "Had you asked that a sennight ago, in all honesty I would have had to say the latter. The great irony of it now, though, is that I have come to realize my feelings run deeper."

He turned to eye his Rohirric friend and asked, "Does that shock you? That I have learned to love? Or is it just amusing that I have made such a mess of it? And likely got what I deserved."

Elfwine rose and moved to stand before him. "I do not find it amusing that you are hurting, but neither can I condone the way you have treated Luthiel."

Eldarion raised pain-filled eyes to look at him, then nodded his acceptance of the censure.

"However," Elfwine continued, "I do not think Luthiel is so indifferent to you as she pretends. I think this whole affair is hurting her as well. Perhaps now you are willing to start fresh, and make amends?"

A flicker of hope ran through Eldarion, and he gazed at the other man cautiously. "Do you truly believe there might yet be a chance to convince her I am not hopeless?"

Elfwine gave him a teasing grin. "That depends entirely on you! I am not certain just how well you are even capable of behaving! But, then, this time, the inducement is great!"

xxxxx

Elfwine had not expected King Elessar to summon him, but having married the man's daughter, he was less intimidated by it than he might otherwise have been. Responding promptly, he made his way to the king's study and was admitted immediately. The King stood gazing out his window.

As Elfwine approached, Elessar turned to gaze at him. Quietly, he observed, "I seem to recall, when you were just fifteen years and my family visited Rohan, that I was repeatedly thanking you for your attentiveness to the well-being of my children. It would appear that your concern has not flagged over the years, and I feel I must again offer my gratitude. My son is a fine young man, but hardship can humble a man as nothing else can. I have been able to give him everything but that. He is fortunate to have a friend such as you to stand by him in his foibles, and help him get his life in order."

Elfwine flushed red with embarrassment. "I have only tried to be a good friend to him as he has been to me, my lord."

Elessar grinned and moved forward to grasp his shoulder, chuckling as he said, "Perhaps! But I very much suspect Eldarion gets the better end of the deal! I think he requires more looking after than you do!"

He gestured for Elfwine to sit, and took a chair next to the one Elfwine occupied. "You followed him after dinner?" Though phrased as a question, Elfwine knew it was not truly so.

He nodded. "Yes. I could tell he was upset."

"About Luthiel?"

For an instant, Elfwine hesitated revealing anything of what Eldarion had shared with him, but then decided it might be best that his father know, not to mention he was fairly certain it was not news to the king. "Yes. It would seem after all his chasing her, and coming up short, he has discovered that he truly wants her."

"And what of Luthiel? Do you know her thoughts and wishes in the matter?"

Again Elfwine paused, but then answered, "Only conjecture. Dariel may know more than I do. Luthiel was annoyed by his posturing early on, but I think more recently, since he has been better behaved, that she has been more inclined to consider him."

Elessar pensively pondered what he had said, then commented, "I am not surprised that he finds the daughter of Eowyn to be so challenging. In many ways, I might have expected her to be one of the few women who could appeal to him for that very reason. Arwen and I would not be at all displeased with the match, but I must hope he is able to earn her love. He has much to overcome in that regard. Faramir will not allow her to marry for a few more years yet – wisely so. Perhaps by the time it is possible, he will be ready for her – if she will have him."

Ansul – wind gift; Roduin - noble river

Elfwine/Dariel married March, 22 IV; Luthiel would have just turned 17 (b. early 5 IV)

in 22 IV: Eomer, 51; Lothiriel, 43; Eldarion & Elboron, 22; Elfwine, 21; Dariel, 20; Luthiel, 17; Theodwyn, 14; Theomund, 12; Morwen, 8