Yes! I have fought through my clouds of inexistence to write...fluffy fanfiction. Wow.

Anyway...

I don't own anything except Linwe. Enjoy!

-The Author

"Eowyn," said Eomer the very next day, "We never play chess anymore."

"This is true," said Eowyn. "But I must say, Faramir is a much better opponent than you are."

"Oh?" Eomer made a face as if he were slighted, but Linwe saw him suppressing his grin. A true romantic at heart, she thought, for all that golden brawn. Eowyn wasn't fooled either.

As Eomer brought out the chess set, Eowyn suddenly blushed and shook in giggles. Linwe was ready to interfere, but Eowyn managed to control herself, and she sat up very primly, and suddenly looked for all the world like a blonde Lothiriel, modest and blushing. No one was fooled at this display. Eomer rolled his eyes and began setting up the pieces.

Linwe leaned over to Eowyn and whispered, "Do you ever play chess with Lothiriel?"

Eowyn rolled her eyes. "Do you ever think of anything besides matchmaking?" Her voice was low. Linwe quickly glanced at Eomer to make sure it was low enough. He glanced at them, but continued setting little tiny round people pieces all in a row on the board.

"Of course not," said Linwe.

"We played once," said Eowyn. "She's a good player, but she goes about it leisurely. It's as if she's only playing for fun or something."

"Isn't it a 'game'?"

"Yes."

"Okay then."

"Ready," said Eomer.

Linwe stared at them as they played. No wonder Eowyn didn't like Lothiriel's leisurely playing style; the hands of the players were a blur over the board, and the pieces moved quicker than Linwe could keep of track of them. In no time at all, the first round was over, and the humans began setting up the board again. Linwe had no idea who won. She had never played chess in her life.

"I'm sorry," said Eomer. "You must be bored, Lady Linwe."

"Not at all," said Linwe. "I was just thinking about who it might be fun to play such a game against."

Eowyn rolled her eyes as Eomer asked, "Who, Lady?"

"The Lady Lothiriel," said Linwe. "Have you met her?"

"Yes," said Eomer. "I danced with her at Eowyn's wedding."

"What'd you think?" Linwe leaned back in her chair with an air of mystery, and winced. The cushions that were placed to soften the chair felt like hard lumps on her back. She'd never imagined she would miss the chairs of Rivendell.

"I thought," (it was several intense moments before the sentence was continued) "that she seemed like a pleasant maid." After another several moments of intense playing, he said, "I didn't take her for a chess player."

"Maybe she hasn't had enough experience," said Linwe. "Maybe you could train her."

Eowyn looked up, a castle piece held tightly in her hands. "Train her?"

"Teach her," said Linwe. "Teach her to play chess. Fast. Like you do. It could work."

Eowyn placed the castle thing back on the board. Eomer moved a piece that looked like a man in armor riding a horse, and then said, "I doubt that would be appropriate."

"What?" Linwe sat up again. "Why not? Why wouldn't it be appropriate for you to play chess with the Princess?"

The humans stared at her odd reaction. They looked at each other. Eowyn moved a little round person thing.

"Because," said Eomer, moving his own castle piece, "That would look like I was courting her."

"And that's a problem?"

"Yes," said Eomer, "I'm not courting her."

"Why not?"

Eomer looked at her curiously. Eowyn hissed at her.

"Well," said Eomer, "I'm just not, that's all."

"Why don't you?"

"Linwe!" Eowyn hissed.

Linwe shot her a look.

Eomer was now looking curiously between the two women, and after a moment he said, "I wouldn't object to it, really, she's very lovely." Linwe bit her knuckle to stop from squeaking; she wasn't quite successful. "It's just," said Eomer, "That I think that she's meant for Lord Aragorn. The Prince of Dol Amroth has been talking to Aragorn about it for so long."

Linwe grinned. That was easy!

"Eomer," she said, "Aragorn is in love with my friend's cousin. He's not going to marry Lothiriel!"

"Oh," said Eomer. He sat back. "Well then."

"So," said Linwe. "Is anything stopping you now?"

"Well," said Eomer. "I don't know."

Linwe squinted at him. She remembered Eowyn saying that he had been in love with someone before, and that it had gone badly. How does one overcome that? Linwe thought back to all of the couples she had set up over the years; all the lovesick and the proud and the silly and the shy people that made up these couples. How had she gotten them not scared anymore?

She tossed her head casually. "Of course," she said, "There's no pressure. I was just thinking you wouldn't want to go back to the Golden Hall all alone."

"Hmm," said Eomer.