A/N: Ch. 19 still isn't quite ready, but I didn't see any reason to keep you in suspense on this one. I should have 19 up some time this week. Just have to fine-tune it. Happy 4th of July to those of you in the U.S. Lialathuveril has an Eomer/Lothiriel story working called "Black Eyes" that you might enjoy, if you haven't yet discovered it.

The Adventures of Theodred, Son of Eomer

Chapter 18 (Sept, 45 IV)

Anbarad was not home when Esgalmir returned to change her clothes before going to the shop, but she thought it best to wash quickly and depart in hopes of avoiding him if at all possible. She felt certain he would want to question her about the morning, and she truly was not inclined to spoil a perfectly lovely time with his insinuations and attempts at twisting matters to his benefit.

She wasn't quick enough. A brief knock signaled his arrival an instant before he rudely opened her door without being summoned. Fortunately, she was at least dressed before he made his entrance and demanded, "Well, what happened?"

"Nothing of consequence." She busied herself about the room to avoid meeting his gaze. "He took me to the stable to meet the mare, just as he said."

"What do you mean 'meet' the mare?" Anbarad asked incredulously.

"I mean 'meet', brother. I told you before. The Rohirrim take their horses very seriously, and for them a ride is not a simple matter. One must become acquainted with one's mount first. All we did was stand in the stall and get to know this mare that he wishes me to ride, while he told me about her. He will return another day and expect me to actually get up on the animal. I am still hoping to persuade him that I am not physically up to this, but he is most persistent."

"I see," Anbarad replied slowly, and Esgalmir didn't like the considering note in his voice, but didn't dare look at him or ask any questions.

"Esgalmir, I want you to send a note to the Prince and invite him to my supper party tomorrow night," he instructed. "It will be quite a coup for me to have him present and, considering his interest in you, I think it quite possible he will come."

"Anbarad! I do not know him well enough to make such an invitation, and you certainly do not! It would be most inappropriate!" It was as she had feared; her brother clearly planned to trade on this to further his ambitions.

"Nonsense. The man's overtures toward you suggest an interest and that is enough to make it appropriate. You will do this. You owe it to me, for all I have done for you."

She was seething inside at his playing his guilt card yet again, but what could she do when her very existence depended upon him. "Anbarad, please. He does not understand Gondorian society. He is only being kind. I am sure he does not intend his gesture to be any kind of overture toward me, and you must not mistake it as such." She knew even as she said it that she was wasting her breath, but for Theodred's sake she had to attempt it.

"Esgalmir, in a few years I will not be able to pay a man to marry you. Prince Theodred may be the last chance we have to marry you off. You will do all you can to secure him, for both our sakes. Do you understand me?" There was a clear threat underlying his question, and for an instant she wondered what he would do if she defied him.

Noncommittally, she answered, "I will extend the invitation." If Anbarad noticed that her capitulation fell short of what he was demanding, he gave no indication. Instead, he turned on his heel and left, and she sat down heavily on the side of her bed, shaking with anger.

She could not, would not, help entrap Theodred in Anbarad's web. Surely he did not know that gifting her with Aenlic would cause such speculation about their connection. She would have to find some way in which to explain it to him so as not to cause him public embarrasment, and not allow her brother to back him into a corner. He was thoughtful and generous, and he did not deserve to be so ill used.

xx

Eowyn handed the card to Theodred. "This just came for you." She tarried, guessing something interesting might be afoot.

After glancing at the note, Theodred looked up and explained, "I am invited to supper and entertainment at Anbarad's tomorrow night."

Eowyn quirked an eyebrow at him. "Things are moving quickly. You present Aenlic to the lady, and now the lady invites you to supper with her brother!"

Theodred grinned, but tapped the note thoughtfully against his hand. "I am not so sure. I do not think Esgalmir realized my intent yesterday or this morning. And this note invites me, but there is a tone of reluctance to it. I suspect it is Anbarad pressuring her to make the invitation though she does not wish to do so."

"You do not think she wants you to come?" Eowyn asked in surprise.

Theodred sighed, and then shrugged. "I do not know. I need to talk to her – to just her, alone, and discover her thoughts and feelings about me. I fear that Anbarad may be getting involved in this in some way, and that is causing a problem."

Eowyn smiled and laid a hand on her nephew's shoulder, advising, "You are Eorling, Theodred! Never let it be said you were bested by a Gondorian, especially a pompous Gondorian nobleman!" Laughing heartily, she strolled away, leaving him chuckling as he went to send a reply.

xx

She supposed the evening was going as well as could be expected. Her brother was being his usual obsequious self, fawning over Theodred at every turn. Theodred managed to seem utterly oblivious to it, and stay charming and polite all around. Esgalmir knew her brother had intended to seat Theodred next to himself at supper, but Theodred gave her his arm to escort her in, and once she was seated, he had plunked down in the chair next to her. No one had dared suggest he move, so Anbarad had been forced to alter his plans in that regard. Esgalmir had the sneaking suspicion that Theodred knew full well what he had done, and did not care in the slightest.

Most of the guests were Anbarad's equally boring and pompous friends, and all were eager to impress Theodred with how important they were. Fortunately, Esgalmir knew that crowd was very fond of games, and suggested the same be set up for entertainment. Theodred wasted no time in claiming Esgalmir as his checkers partner, to Anbarad's satisfaction. She agreed, with mixed emotions. On the one hand, since she had been the one to invite him, she didn't wish him to have a miserable time. Still, to allow Anbarad to push her at him rubbed her the wrong way.

"Are you good at checkers?" Theodred was asking, pulling her attention back to the present, as they set up the board. "I warn you, I am very good."

A slow smile slid over her face. Was he indeed? That could work to her advantage! "I am fairly good. I will do my best," she answered demurely. She knew very well her brother would expect her to lose to Theodred, in order to attract him…

Being handicapped had given Esgalmir plenty of time to play checkers, and become extremely good. Theodred soon discovered he had nowhere near her skill, though he was thoroughly enjoying the challenge of trying to best her. To some extent, that was a bit dismaying to Esgalmir. She had hoped that defeating him would be off-putting to him, but he did not seem to mind at all.

Anbarad, it was evident, did take exception to it. "Esgalmir, I would speak with you privately," he told her sternly.

Though it could have been said more politely, she thought it best not to make a scene, and she rose without comment, to follow him off to the hallway. Once they were alone, he turned on her immediately.

"What do you think you are doing?" Anbarad queried imperiously, obviously quite put out.

"To what are you referring?" Esgalmir asked, refusing to take the bait.

"You are offending the Prince! Sitting there, showing him up! Cease it at once!" he demanded.

Esgalmir felt her hackles rise at the order. "Offending…the Prince? Theodred?" she asked in a dangerously quiet voice.

"Yes!"

"Until tonight," she observed, with a hiss, "you had only met 'the Prince' thrice, so you hardly qualify to know him well enough to know what will offend him, brother! I have done nothing amiss!"

Anbarad stared at her in virtual shock, unable to believe she was daring to openly dispute him.

"Is there a problem?" a quiet voice asked from their left, and Anbarad jumped slightly. Neither had seen Theodred coming to join them.

Smiling tightly at him, Esgalmir reassured Theodred as she took his arm, "Not at all, my lord. My brother misunderstood something, and needed me to explain it to him. That is all." She took a step back toward their seats, nudging Theodred along, and he took the hint.

Still, once they were reseated, it soon became apparent to Theodred that her mind remained distracted by whatever had transpired with her brother, and it had clearly left her distressed and on edge. He stuck it out a quarter of an hour, then leaned toward her and softly suggested, "Esgalmir, will you walk with me?"

She glanced up, seeming startled, and her eyes darted quickly about the room, but she nodded. As she rose, he stepped over to the couch where she had laid her shawl earlier and retrieved it, then wrapped it about her shoulders before offering his arm to her. She steered him out to her brother's small garden with some reluctance, knowing that it would not be entirely private there.

They moved to the garden wall that looked out over a small communal courtyard for the houses in this part of the city. Theodred studied it briefly, then asked, "Is there a way into that courtyard?"

She blinked in surprise at the question, but then nodded, and showed him to a small gate, almost hidden in the shrubbery and little used since her brother preferred the exclusiveness of his seclusion.

As they moved to a bench, they were now better able to speak privately, and it occurred to her that it had been his intent in suggesting the change of location. Once she was seated, he half turned though he did not look at her, and reached for her hand, "What troubles you, Esgalmir? You were in good humor earlier on, until your brother drew you aside. Has he upset you in some way? Might I help?"

She sighed and almost withdrew her hand from his, but she was enjoying the warmth of his fingers wrapped around hers and was loath to part from it. Still, she could not tell him of all that was happening with Anbarad. She would not burden him with that, and she would not let her brother do anything to…

"It is nothing. Do not let it concern you, Theodred. It has been a long day, that is all. I am feeling better already." At least that much was true. Escaping her brother to sit in the moonlight with Theodred was indeed having a relaxing effect on her.

For a long while neither spoke, and then ever so softly, he asked, "Will you never see me as more?"

"More?" she questioned in puzzlement, though her heart was suddenly beating painfully against her ribs, and the evening air was inexplicably warm for this time of year.

"I know you are a few years my senior, and likely that colors your view of me, but age should not be a barrier to people caring for one another. What I felt for Kata was convenient – it neatly organized a part of my life – but had I known then that it could be like this, that it could feel like this, I would never have been willing to settle for convenience. I love you, Esgalmir; truly love you."

She lurched to her feet. Surely this was not happening. Perhaps Anbarad had gotten to him after all, said something to persuade him to... She rubbed fretfully at her forehead as he stood also, puzzled by her reaction. Convinced it somehow tied to the unpleasantness with her brother, he returned to that subject. "Why did Anbarad draw you aside?"

She stiffened, but decided perhaps being honest would be the best thing now. "He was upset with me for offending you."

"Offending me? Offending me how?"

Theodred's voice sounded truly curious, as she might have expected. Turning to face him, she answered, "He is of the opinion that a lady should never best a gentleman at games. That it is ill-mannered. That if she wishes to find favor with someone she should always let him win, even if she is more skilled than he." She tilted her chin defiantly at him.

He stared at her for several moments, then asked quietly, "So did you win at checkers to prove that you could, or because you do not wish to find favor with me and sought to offend me?"

Her brow knit perplexedly, not expecting this question. "I...I was not trying to offend you. I see no reason to curry favor by pretending to be less than I am, or to lose unless I am outplayed."

"But did you wish to find favor with me or not?" he persisted.

"I..." she began, then hesitated. Finally, she admitted, "I did not give the matter any thought. I merely played the game as best I could."

"So you have no feelings for me at all, then," he concluded, settling dejectedly on the bench.

For several minutes, she stood silently debating what to do and say. He had already declared himself in love with her. All she had to do was say the words, and he was hers. That was what Anbarad wanted. She could leave her brother's household forever and never look back; a simple, convenient solution to her problem. But what did she want?

All these months that he had been coming into the shop, she had held back, careful not to let anyone, particularly her brother, think there was anything between them. Every word she spoke, she carefully chose so as not to mention Theodred too frequently or too fondly, and certainly not too familiarly. And her efforts had not been in vain. While Anbarad desperately hoped to secure Theodred's interest, she did not think he had suspected a thing about their long friendship. Now this moment of reckoning and she was not prepared.

She was not prepared for the indescribable warmth that spread through her at the knowledge of his love for her, or the thrill of his touch when he took her hand or elbow. She was not prepared for the way his nearness took her breath away, or how even in his absence he filled her thoughts. She was not prepared for how complete and whole and perfect he made her feel, or how she knew he was not offended in the slightest if she bested him at something, because he delighted in her successes. She was not prepared to realize just how much she had come to love him without even noticing it sneaking up on her.

And she had no idea how to even begin to explain it to him.

So she did the only thing that came to mind. She sat down, slid her arms around his waist, then laid her head upon his chest, and held him until he understood what she could not say.

Esgalmir had little doubt that her brother had come looking for her at some point, and seen her in Theodred's arms. While societal protocols might have frowned on such things, she could not imagine any circumstances in which her brother would ever challenge a prince of Rohan about impropriety with his sister. Indeed, he was likely to encourage such in order to entrap the young man into a marriage. Be that as it may, she was willing to make use of her brother's stupidity in order to be alone with Theodred just now. She had no fears for her virtue where Theodred was concerned.

They talked long into the night, and did not bother going back inside until she was ready to turn in, long after they were certain the other guests had departed. Though Theodred knew it was bad manners on his part, he was willing to risk the censure on this occasion and trust he could make it up later.

They had agreed to meet again at eight the next morning for their ride, and though it was nearly midnight when they parted, and Esgalmir found sleep was slow to come, she was up early and dressed. She had hoped to avoid her brother, but he was waiting at her door the moment she left her room, clearly wanting a detailed report of the previous night. He was going to be disappointed, because she had no intention of giving him that. The truth of the situation could not be kept from him, of course, but the particulars were none of his business.

Smiling serenely, she answered his questions laconically as she downed a quick breakfast, hoping Theodred would be early. He did not disappoint her. Once again, Anbarad attempted to detain the young man, but Theodred could be most elusive when he chose to be and, claiming his cousin was awaiting them at the stables, they were soon off.

As it turned out, he had not been lying. Luthiel was, in fact, tacking her own horse in preparation of joining them for their ride. Leading Esgalmir to Aenlic's stall, Theodred handed her a carrot to feed to the mare, and Aenlic crunched happily on the treat while Theodred brushed her thoroughly.

"Eventually, you may wish to learn to care for her yourself. A bond tends to develop between horse and rider, and we prefer to care for our horses so that we are certain they are receiving the best care. But for now, either I or a stable hand can do it for you. The same with the tack," Theodred explained.

Esgalmir found herself watching carefully what he was doing. Though she had never imagined for a moment that she would ever do such a thing, or even be interested, suddenly it did not seem such a remote possibility.

Once the mare was spotlessly clean, he began to tack her up with a beautiful tooled saddle and bridle. Moving closer, she examined the workmanship of the leather. "This is marvelous! Where did you get it?" she asked him.

He grinned. "There is a saddler in Edoras that has supplied the royal household for generations. I had this made especially for Aenlic, and for you, though I had to guess on the measurements. But you are about the size of my sister-in-law, Fele, so I used her measurements as a basis for him to work from."

She stared at him in awe. "You went to all that trouble for me?"

Stepping closer, he slipped a hand on her waist and lowered his forehead until it almost touched hers, murmuring softly, "Of course!"

"Behave yourselves, you two!" Luthiel laughed, walking by, leading her horse. "I have not got all day to attend you lovebirds!"

With a chuckle, Theodred stepped back as Esgalmir flushed red, and he handed her Aenlic's reins. "Just stand here and hold her for a moment while I go saddle my horse."

Esgalmir looked nervous at being left alone with the mare, but took a deep breath and nodded, and he gave her a reassuring grin. Moving quickly away, he soon had Scildan brushed and tacked, and returned to show Esgalmir how to lead a horse. Slowly they made their way to the stableyard and joined Luthiel there. Handing Scildan's reins to Luthiel, Theodred stepped next to Esgalmir and demonstrated the correct way to mount a horse, and then helped her to do so. It was a bit rough, but she was soon in the saddle. They took a moment to arrange her skirt to cover her legs, and Theodred carefully checked her leg to see how the brace was laying against Aenlic's side. Reassuringly, he told Esgalmir, "Your toe should not bother her much. She will get used to it quickly enough. And the brace fits against your skirt and the stirrup leather so she will barely notice that. Do not worry."

She tried to give him a brave smile, but it looked a bit like a grimace and he laughed at her. Catching hold of her hand, he told her sincerely, "I swear to you, beloved, I will not let you fall! Trust me!"

His words cut through her fears, and she grinned sheepishly at him. "I do! I do trust you, Theodred!" she whispered fervently.

"Good!" he whispered back.

A moment later he had stepped into the saddle and they began the journey down through the city, with Luthiel leading the way. His cousin was suffering no delusions about this outing. She knew she was completely superfluous. The more invisible she made herself, the better everyone would like it. Still, she had never objected to an early morning gallop on the Pelennor. After they cleared the gate, she urged her horse to a run, calling brightly over her shoulder, "Race you to the wall!" A moment later, she had left them in her dust.

Esgalmir had given out a gasp at the challenge, but Theodred only laughed and drew rein, holding Scildan in check so he didn't attempt to follow. Aenlic had already sensed that her rider was not up to much just yet, and made no effort to increase her speed. While the long walk through the city had gradually helped Esgalmir relax and get the feel of sitting in a saddle, it still was quite strange to her. Watching the ease with which Luthiel maneuvered her mount, she was quite envious. This must be the freedom Theodred kept mentioning to her. It did seem to be so, but she could not quite envision herself in Luthiel's place, flying across the plains, crouched over the neck of a galloping steed.

Suddenly, an arm snaked out and caught her by the waist. The next thing she knew, Theodred had plucked her from Aenlic's saddle and settled her in front of him on Scildan, wrapping his arms around her. As though he had read her thoughts of a moment ago, he leaned and whispered in her ear, "Now, Esgalmir, I want you to taste freedom!" And with that, he urged Scildan to a breakneck gallop.

Initially, she was terrified. She let out a scream of panic, begging him to slow down, but when he did not heed her, and his arms tightened reassuringly around her, she realized she was in no danger. She was free and this was almost like flying. With a gasp of astonishment, the understanding hit her that Theodred had suddenly opened the door to her prison and released her. Without thinking, she let go her death grip on the saddle horn, flinging both her arms out wide, and she laughed with joy. An instant later, she could feel Theodred laughing with her.

They ran for some time, until finally he eased the stallion slower and then drew him to a walk, letting him cool off. It seemed as though she was breathing almost as hard as the horse, from the sheer excitement and pleasure of it all. Twisting around as best she could to try and look at Theodred, she exclaimed, "Thank you!"

His response was a hand upon her head, his fingers carding through her hair and finishing what the wind had begun in loosening her hair from its pins. And then he pulled her to him and kissed her deeply. As they drew apart, he whispered, "I love you, Esgalmir. And you will never be caged again."

TBC

6-29-06