The morning dragged by slowly. With each passing hour, the air within the encampment grew more and more frantic. Lothíriel's stomach hurt from the untended hunger, and with each new pang her stubbornness ebbed away. She began to lower her head towards the grass when the sound of footsteps distracted her. Éothain and the Swan-Knights were approaching the tent. Her father must have noticed their approach as well, for he turned and met them. They came to a stop just infront of the horse enclosure.

"What have you found?" Although her father's voice was calm, she could sense the cord of anxiety within. "Have you any news?"

"I do and I don't." Éothain looked slightly perturbed. "We found tracks leading from the camp that were made by someone relatively small. They lead away from both the camp and the city. That is not the only thing. There was only one set of tracks. But that is not what is most odd. The tracks end and are replaced by hoof prints."

"You believe that she rode found and rode a horse? But where would she have gone? And if she was alone, why would she have chosen to go?" Her father stroked his chin, his eyebrows knitted together.

"You misunderstand." Éothain cleared his throat. "There are no horse tracks leading to where the princess' end. They simply begin. What's more, they lead back to the city gate. Right where we found her." He pointed straight to Lothíriel.

"What are you trying to say?" The hand that was touching his face stopped all movement.

"I do not know. Only that it is very odd." Éothain shook his head slightly. "I do think as we continue to search for Princess Lothíriel, we ought to stable this mare within Edoras and perhaps things will be revealed more in time."

'In time, I'll probably still be stuck as a horse.' Lothíriel tossed her head, her long mane waving behind her. 'It could be worse, I suppose.' She pondered. 'I've heard that in this land there is a love for these creatures that have yet to be matched.'

"I couldn't help but overhear," a familiar voice called out. Lothíriel's ears nicked forward, paying close attention to their approach. King Éomer walked through the tents. Although there was an ease about his expression, the strange instinct that was within her new body informed her that he was not quite as calm as he appeared.

"My king," Éothain bowed his head, "I thought you decided to await news within Edoras."

"Unfortunately, I am a man who cannot sit and wait for news to come before me." He chucked and ran his fingers through his long, golden locks. Without another word, the King Éomer lifted himself in one fluid motion over the fence of the enclosure. Lothíriel watched him warily.

"My lady," he spoke quietly and calmly in rohirric. "I wish to house you within the walls of my home. I promise that you will be cared for. Will you allow me to escort you there?" With the way he spoke, Lothíriel almost forgot that he was speaking to her as a horse and not as the Princess of Dol Amroth. Slowly she approached and looked at him carefully before nodding her head.

Placing a gentle hand where her neck and back met, he guided her out of the enclosure. "Prince Imrahil," he halted as he spoke and she halted with him, looking down at her father, "I have made preparations for you and your sons to stay within Edoras. If you wish to remain within the encampment I will take no offense. I simply want you to be aware that you have the option."

As they continued walking, Lothíriel took the time to study the man beside her. She couldn't see his face from her position, but his hair, now free of the formal crown, fell down freely from his head. She could also see a few small braids and wondered if they were purely aesthetic or had some unknown meaning. His gait was steady and confident. He held his head high, as a king should, and each person who greeted him was greeted curtiously in return.

'I was a fool to trust some fortune teller rather than meet this King unafraid. He seems a gentle sort and even if he were not, I surely could have refused a match with him, had we been incompatible.' She hung her head a little more limply, staring at the ground. She looked at the mud and some hoof prints in the soft ground. The soft ground? Her head snapped up with an idea!

A/N: Oh this is so much fun to write! I hope you guys are having a good time reading this story. The next chapter is already almost done, so hopefully I'll see you with that soon!